Bandung, June 30, 2025

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Education (FPMIPA) at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) officially welcomed representatives from the Accreditation, Certification, and Quality Assurance Institute (ACQUIN) as part of the international accreditation process for several postgraduate programs at the Master’s (S2) and Doctoral (S3) levels.

This visit is a key milestone in FPMIPA UPI’s ongoing efforts to elevate the quality of its academic programs in alignment with international standards, while simultaneously strengthening the institution’s competitiveness at the global level. The multi-day agenda includes a series of comprehensive assessments, covering curriculum evaluation, teaching methodologies, academic support facilities, and the faculty’s internal quality assurance systems.

The ACQUIN delegation comprises highly regarded academics and quality assurance experts from leading institutions across Europe and Asia, including:

• Prof. Dr. Mageswary Karpudewan – Professor of Chemistry Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia
• Prof. Edi Istiyono – Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
• Prof. Dr. Matthias Ludwig – Chair of Mathematics Didactics, Goethe University Frankfurt
• Prof. Dr. Torsten Brinda – Chair of Informatics Didactics, University of Duisburg-Essen
• Prof. Mark Winterbottom – Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge
• Dr. Carlos Machado – International Project Manager, OVGU Magdeburg; Educational Advisor and Consultant
• Dr. Lyazzat Nugumanova – Project Manager, ACQUIN

Throughout the visit, the assessors are scheduled to conduct document reviews, observe classroom teaching, and engage in structured interviews with faculty leadership, academic staff, students, administrative personnel, and alumni. Additionally, they will conduct site visits to key university facilities, including laboratories, lecture halls, and student service centers, to evaluate institutional readiness and compliance with international quality benchmarks.

This accreditation process serves not only as external validation of academic quality, but also as a critical instrument for internal reflection and continuous improvement.

In his official address, the Dean of FPMIPA affirmed the strategic significance of international accreditation in advancing the faculty’s vision of becoming a world-class center for education and research.

“We are honored to host the ACQUIN assessment team. We regard this process not merely as an evaluation, but as a valuable opportunity for institutional learning and development, particularly in strengthening academic governance and improving service quality,” he stated.

The Dean further expressed optimism that the results of this process would foster broader opportunities for international collaboration and enhance public confidence in the academic caliber of FPMIPA UPI graduates. Accreditation from globally recognized agencies such as ACQUIN is a vital component in supporting UPI’s broader internationalization strategy, in line with the university’s mission to become a globally reputable institution.

Two students from the Biology Education Program at the University of Education Indonesia (UPI) achieved several accomplishments at the 2025 West Java Provincial Self-Defense Championship for Students, College Students, and the General Public, titled “Road to PDIC XI.” The event took place from May 28–31, 2025, at the GOR Laga Tangkas Arcamanik in Bandung, and was attended by approximately 2,000 participants from various cities/regions and universities across West Java.

In this championship, Siti Hajar Pamungkas secured four medals in the Perisai Diri category, namely 2nd Place in the Adult Women’s Class A Attack and Evasion category, 3rd Place in the Adult Women’s Empty-Handed Pair category, 3rd Place in the Adult Women’s Mandatory Weapon Technique Pair category, and 3rd Place in the Adult Women’s Free Weapon Technique Pair category. Meanwhile, Fauziah Husna Amalia also contributed to the achievements by winning 2nd place in the Women’s Adult Free Weapon Technique Team, 3rd place in the Women’s Adult Mandatory Weapon Technique Team, and 3rd place in the Women’s Adult Combination Technique Team. Siti Hajar stated that these achievements were not possible without consistent training, even amidst the demands of university studies. “This activity provides a positive space to pursue interests while also serving as a refreshing break from academic routines. It’s enjoyable to remain active outside the classroom and achieve results,” she said. The achievements demonstrate that students can develop their potential in a balanced manner, both in academic and non-academic fields. Detailed information about the event and documentation can be accessed through the UPI Biology Education Instagram account.

Bandung – April 22, 2025

In the midst of rapid advances in science and technology, 21st-century education is required to provide deep transformation, not only in the curriculum but also in learning methods and evaluations. To support the Society 5.0 era, lifelong learning becomes an essential foundation in shaping a generation that is creative, collaborative, and independent (Peea et al., 2024). In response to this, students of the Master’s Program in Biology Education at the Indonesian University of Education (UPI) are organizing an event titled “Science EduXplore: Nature Intelligence Challenge” on April 22, 2025, at the UPI Botanical Garden Laboratory, Bandung.

This activity aims to be an innovative solution to various challenges in learning biology in schools, especially in enhancing science literacy, strengthening scientific process skills (KPS), and fostering students’ scientific identity in accordance with OECD standards (2025), which include the ability to explain scientific phenomena, design investigations, and interpret scientific data in real-world contexts. One approach that can be undertaken is contextual learning, which will provide real experiences for students and give them opportunities to engage directly in the learning process. Thus, learning will become more interesting as it is not only focused on theory, but can also be reinforced with practical activities in the field.

Proposing Contextual Learning: The synergy between theory and practice in strong science literacy cannot be built solely through lectures and theoretical delivery.

Science literacy becomes more meaningful when supported by actions that can demonstrate a particular theory or concept through contextual activities in the field. However, research and observations in partner schools show that this traditional approach still dominates, resulting in low student understanding of biological concepts, especially on ecology themes and environmental issues (Fitrianisa et al., 2024; Muallimatunnisa et al., 2023; Indrawati & Nurpatri, 2022). On the other hand, students show a high interest in learning based on direct experiences. This can be seen from the participants who joined the Science EduXplore activities (number of participants 105).

Answering this challenge, Science EduXplore comes with an experiential learning approach that emphasizes direct environmental exploration, as well as cooperative learning that develops collaboration and social interaction in the learning process. Thus, the Science EduXplore activities provide students with the opportunity to develop teamwork, collaboration, and other skills in Biology learning. This activity features five main stations: Weather, Plant Identification, Ayam Cemani, Ecology Laboratory, and Maggot, which are designed to enhance students’ higher-order thinking skills through observation, interpretation, classification, and reflection on the results of exploration.

Collaborative and Contextual Program Design The Science EduXplore 2025 program design is packaged in the form of a scientific Treasure Hunt activity that combines experiential learning and cooperative learning approaches to strengthen science literacy and 21st-century skills of junior high school students. The activity begins with a briefing and distribution of missions in the Isola courtyard, where participants receive a route map and challenge guidelines. The route map used by participants is intended to equip students with interpretive skills and field observation abilities. Each team follows scientific missions at various stations, such as Climatic Ecology Mission (temperature and humidity measurements), Plant Identification (using Google Lens and sampling), and Ayam Cemani Observation (observation and design ideas for preservation).

Next, participants completed the Microscopic Mission (observation of microorganisms and preparation of leaf tissue), the Edaphic Mission (measurement of pH, temperature, and soil moisture), and the Maggot Cultivation Mission that introduced the role of maggots in organic waste management and bioentrepreneurship opportunities. The activities concluded with a Round Table session, where the entire team presented the results of their exploration and designed science-based solutions for the environmental issues identified. This program not only provided contextual and  enjoyable learning but also became an effective alternative to local field trips that .

 The participans involved in this activity included several schools in the Bandung City area with a total of 105 participants form 12 schools in Bandung City.  In addition, there were 28 students involved working in collaboration with the lecturers from the Biology Education Study Program at UPI along with the PLP laboratory of Biology and the UPI Botanical Garden. This activity is one of the integrated activities in the Bioentrepreneurship Biology course taught by the lecturers Dr. Bambang Supriatno, M.Si and Dr. Sariwulan Diana, M.Si.

Reflections, Challenges, and Improvement Efforts

The Science EduXplore 2025 event received high enthusiasm from participants and accompanying teachers; however, evaluations indicated a number of technical and substantive challenges. Some of the challenges that arose included: sound system disruptions during the opening, ineffective initial briefings, issues with the use of scientific tools, imbalances in time allocation per station, and limited readiness of teaching materials at the plant identification and ecology stations.

This feedback serves as an important foundation for future program development, particularly in strengthening time management, team coordination, the preparation of learning aids, and facilitation strategies at the stations.

Nevertheless, the main objective of the activity—namely providing an environmentally-based and collaborative learning experience—was successfully achieved

Conclusion: Concrete Steps Toward Adaptive Biology Learning

Science EduXplore demonstrates that biology learning does not always have to rely on formal laboratories. With a creative and contextual pedagogical approach, the surrounding environment can become an effective and inspiring learning space.

This activity also serves as a real example of the synergy between students, teachers, and lecturers in creating impactful and sustainable biological education innovations.

In line with the spirit of the Merdeka Curriculum, this program not only strengthens students’ cognitive skills but also shapes a caring, collaborative, and responsible scientific character towards the environment. Through the integration of experiential and cooperative learning, Science EduXplore paves the way for meaningful, grounded biology education that is relevant to the challenges of the times.

For complete documentation of activities, it can be accessed through the Instagram account of UPI Biology Education:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DI55eBezYB2/?igsh=ZDlqYmJtaXc2b2M5

Bandung – June 25, 2025

In response to the demands of the Merdeka Curriculum, which emphasizes contextual learning and the development of 21st-century skills, students from the Master’s Program in Biology Education at the University of Education Indonesia (UPI) organized a series of activities titled “Enhancing Teachers’ Competencies in Designing Laboratory Experiments Using Local Materials: A Transformation Toward Improving Students’ Scientific Process Skills.”

This initiative is designed to make a concrete contribution to enhancing teachers’ capacity to develop meaningful science education rooted in the local environment and aligned with the strengthening of scientific process skills as outlined in the Merdeka Curriculum.

The series of activities comprises three main phases: a National Webinar, Technical Guidance (BIMTEK), and an Online Evaluation.

Inspirational Webinar: 182 Teachers from Various Regions Participate

The event started with a National Webinar on June 14, 2025, attended by 123 teacher participants from various regions across Indonesia. The webinar featured academic and educational practitioners from the Biology Department of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) at UPI: Dr. Kusnadi, M.Si., Dr. Yanti Handiyati, M.Si., and Dr. Amprasto, M.Si., who discussed the importance of innovation in laboratory experiments by utilizing local materials as experimental materials and field trip learning in biology education. The next speakers were Master’s students in Biology Education at UPI, Puan Helwa Soraya, who discussed Ancor and Novak Gowin, followed by Baharudin Yusuf Haqiqi, who addressed Performance Assessment in Biology Laboratory Experiments. The discussion focused on strategies for designing cost-effective laboratory experiments that strengthen students’ scientific process skills (SPS), such as observation, classification, interpretation, and experimentation, as well as how to assess these laboratory activities.

Intensive BIMTEK: Designing Contextual and Creative Practical Sessions

The series continued on June 19, 2025, with a Technical Guidance (BIMTEK) session attended by 35 selected participants at the JICA Building, FPMIPA UPI. This BIMTEK activity collaborated with MGMPs from various regions, including the City of Bandung, Bandung Barat Regency, Cimahi Regency, Subang Regency, Purwakarta Regency, Cianjur Regency, Sumedang Regency, Cilegon City, and Tangerang City. In this session, teachers were directly trained to design applicable practical activities based on local potential. The BIMTEK participants were divided into five laboratories: Physiology Laboratory, Microbiology Laboratory, Animal Structure Laboratory, Plant Structure Laboratory, and Ecology Laboratory. Each laboratory was facilitated by Master’s students in Biology Education from the 2024 cohort, accompanied by Biology Education lecturers from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) at UPI, namely Dr. Kusnadi, M.Si., Dr. Rini Solihat, M.Si., Dr. Bambang Supriatno, M.Si., Dr. Amprasto, M.Si., Dr. H. Saefudin, M.Si., Drs. H. Dadang Machmudin, M.Si., Prof. Dr. Hj. Nuryani Rustaman, M.Pd.,Dr. Hj. Sariwulan Diana, M.Si., dan Dr. Yanti Hamdiyati, M.Si. Participants critiqued the standard Laboratory Activity Design and reconstructed it based on analysis results, followed by direct testing, group discussions, and designing student worksheets that integrate local wisdom values and scientific process skills. Participants’ enthusiasm was evident from the numerous creative ideas generated, ranging from photosynthesis experiments using local plants to ecology experiments.

Online Evaluation: Commitment to Sustainability

As a follow-up, the activity will conclude with an Online Evaluation on July 22, 2025, to measure the effectiveness of implementing training outcomes in each classroom. This evaluation also serves as a reflection forum for teachers applying contextual learning aligned with the Pancasila Student Profile and student-centered learning principles.

The activity received positive feedback from participants who were motivated to transform their surroundings into open-air laboratories. The transformation of biology education no longer relies on formal laboratories. Still, it can emerge from teachers’ ecological awareness and creativity in designing student learning experiences.

With the collaborative spirit between graduate students and teachers in the field, this activity is a model for empowering teachers’ professionalism, directly impacting the quality of biology education in schools. For a recap of the activities, please visit the Instagram account of UPI Biology Education (https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLNIf9kRcdT/).

Salatiga – June 24, 2025

Students from the Physics Education Study Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Education (FPMIPA), Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI), have once again brought honor to their university by winning first place at the Pagelaran Festival Dakwah (LAFESDA) 2025, held by UIN Salatiga, Central Java.

In the provincial-level Scientific Writing Competition, the UPI team emerged as champions with their paper titled “Strategi Dakwah Ragam Ekspresi Tari Topeng Cirebon: Telaah Nilai-Nilai Islami dan Tradisi Budaya”. This innovative work delves into the integration of Islamic messages with traditional Cirebonese dance, offering a contextual and culturally resonant strategy for religious communication.

The winning team consisted of Yudhistira Wicaksono (2307380), Dewi Alya Pramanik (2307941), and Siti Almaidah (2309244), under the guidance of their dedicated supervisor, Nuzulira Janeusse Fratiwi, M.Pd. Their collaboration reflects the strong academic and creative synergy fostered within the Physics Education program.

This remarkable achievement showcases that UPI Physics Education students are not only skilled in scientific disciplines but also actively contribute to cultural and religious discourse. By continuing to support the multidisciplinary development of its students, FPMIPA UPI remains committed to shaping future intellectuals who are creative, spiritually grounded, and globally competitive.