Introduction. Science education in primary schools requires instructional approaches that simultaneously develop science process skills (SPS) and creative thinking skills (CTS) as essential 21st-century competencies. However, preliminary findings in Indonesian elementary schools revealed low mastery of observation, measurement, inference, and scientific communication, alongside limited flexibility, originality, and elaboration in creative thinking. Although Project-Based Learning (PjBL) has been widely implemented, its application often encounters challenges in time management, engagement, and structured skill measurement. Therefore, an innovative syntax integrating Project, Combine, and Put to Another Use is needed to systematically enhance both SPS and CTS in primary science education.
Research methods. The design used in this research was research and development design where 50 teachers who were primary school teachers and 104 pupils in the fourth grade session of four elementary schools in Probolinggo, Indonesia were involved. The PCP model was tested with the expert judgment- teacher response questionnaires and tested with SEM-PLS with the SmartPLS 4 to test the construct validity and reliability. Pretest-posttest models were employed to determine the effectiveness of the model which was validated by the use of normality, homogeneity and paired-sample t-tests.
Results. The results indicate that the PCP learning model demonstrates strong construct validity and reliability across all evaluated dimensions, with composite reliability values ranging from 0.815 to 0.953, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients between 0.858 and 0.967, and AVE values exceeding 0.50. The SPS and CTS assessment instruments also met psychometric standards (SPS α = 0.924; CTS α = 0.787). Descriptive analysis revealed higher mean scores in the experimental group (SPS M = 91.24; CTS M = 87.92) compared to the control group (SPS M = 71.33; CTS M = 82.56). Normality and homogeneity assumptions were satisfied (p > 0.05). Paired-sample t-tests showed significant differences favoring the experimental group in both SPS (t = −7.496, p < 0.001) and CTS (t = −2.682, p = 0.013), confirming the effectiveness of the PCP model in improving science process and creative thinking skills.
Conclusion. These findings prove that the PCP learning paradigm is legitimate, realistic, and useful in enhancing scientific research and innovative thinking. The paper underlines the potential of the PCP model as a new teaching strategy to improve the teaching of 21st century competencies in primary science subjects.
Keywords: creative thinking skills, PCP learning model, primary science education, science process skills, project-based learning, scamper strategy, primary education
For Citation: Wardana, L. A., Widodo, W., & Prahani, B. K. (2026). Developing a Project-Combine-Put to another Use Learning Model to Enhance Science Process Skills and Creative Thinking in Primary Science Education. Perspektivy nauki i obrazovania = Perspectives of Science and Education, (4), 343–354. https://doi.org/10.32744/pse.2026.4.23
Authors:
Ludfi Arya Wardana (Indonesia, Surabaya) — Doctoral Candidate, Doctorate Program of Basic Education in Universitas Negeri Surabaya. E-mail: ludfi.23014@mhs.unesa.ac.id
Wahono Widodo (Indonesia, Surabaya) — Professor, Doctorate Program of Basic Education in Universitas Negeri Surabaya. E-mail: wahonowidodo@unesa.ac.id
Binar Kurnia Prahani (Indonesia, Surabaya) — PhD in science education, Associate Professor in Universitas Negeri Surabaya. E-mail: binarprahani@unesa.ac.id
© Ludfi Arya Wardana, Wahono Widodo, Binar Kurnia Prahani, 2026
The author’s declared no conflicts of interest
Received: 14 February 2026 | Approved: 22 May 2026 | Published: 31 August 2026
This is an open access article distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike International License (CC-BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal
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