Integrating Agricultural Literacy Into Social Studies Curriculum: A Design-Based Approach For Sustainable Education In Rural Indonesia

Global challenges in food security, climate change, and declining youth interest in agriculture demand a transformative educational approach. This study integrates agricultural literacy into the junior high school Social Studies (IPS) curriculum to promote sustainability-oriented education in rural Indonesia. Using Design-Based Research, the research involved 306 teachers and 4 practitioners from Indramayu Regency across three phases: needs analysis, curriculum design and validation, and implementation. Data collected through surveys, interviews, expert validation, and field trials reveal that agricultural literacy is insufficiently addressed in Social Studies, and teachers require structured curricular guidance. The developed curriculum (mean feasibility = 3.81/4.0 from three expert validators) improved teaching relevance, student engagement 85% (n = 68/80 students) reported lessons felt relevant, and local awareness. Implementation results demonstrated an 18.3% increase in student knowledge and 100% agreement that students now respect farmers more. This infusion approach effectively contextualizes learning and fosters SDG oriented competencies. The study concludes that curriculum infusion is a viable strategy for embedding agricultural literacy within existing Social Studies frameworks without disrupting curricular coherence.