Scientific literacy is an essential skill that enables students to independently seek, comprehend, and apply scientific knowledge to enhance learning quality according to their needs. This competency encompasses mastery of scientific concepts (content knowledge), procedural skills, and epistemic understanding, which influence effective learning strategies and evidence-based problem-solving abilities. Scientific literacy also includes the ability to construct knowledge, explain natural phenomena, and draw scientific conclusions through critical reasoning. Its early implementation in education, particularly at the elementary level, is crucial for building a strong foundation in scientific understanding. The development of scientific literacy can be facilitated through innovative learning media, ensuring students not only grasp theoretical concepts but also apply them in real-life contexts. Thus, improving scientific literacy significantly contributes to students' academic success and life skills. This study employs a Research and Development (R language validation has 0.938 scores; media validation has 0.942; practicality test (students) has 87.33% scores; practicality test (teachers) has 87.50% scores. The media’s effectiveness in improving fifth graders' scientific literacy was confirmed through paired t-test, showing significant differences between pretest and posttest results. N-Gain score of 0.532 with qualified oderate/effective) and get positive student (87.5%) and teacher (88.39%) feedback. The study recommends that teachers adopt this 3D AR Assembler Edu media with local wisdom-based PjBL to foster scientific literacy, ensuring alignment with the Merdeka Curriculum’s learning objectives. Keywords: 3D Augmented Reality, Assembler Edu, Project-Based Learning, Ethno-STEM, Scientific Literacy.
Nurkhasyanah et al. (Tue,) studied this question.