This study aimed to describe students' responsibility and independence and to find
out the inhibiting factors during the process. A qualitative approach with descriptive
method was used in this study. The data were collected by using several techniques
such as observation, interview, and document analysis. The results indicated that the
development of Social Studies program that created three dimensions to build the
responsibility and independence was able to be implied through thematic learning
with guidance consistently and decisively through the teachers' help as facilitators.
The obstacles in building the students' responsibility and independence were lack of
students' awareness in solving problems, lack of students' awareness of rights and
obligations, feeling insecure, less respect for the given works and untrusted students'
attitudes.