Nani Nuriani (1), Dadi Setiadi (2), Asrin Asrin (3), Sri Subarinah (4), Sukri Sukri (5)
General background: Early childhood education plays a pivotal role in shaping cognitive, affective, and psychomotor development, with cultural integration enhancing meaning and identity. Specific background: In North Lombok, despite rich traditions, globalization has eroded cultural practices and language use among children, creating an urgent need for culturally grounded pedagogy. Knowledge gap: Previous studies emphasized cognitive aspects of local culture but lacked comprehensive teaching modules explicitly designed to foster cultural appreciation in early childhood. Aims: This study aimed to develop and validate a local culture-based teaching module for early childhood education in North Lombok. Results: Using a modified 3-D model (define, design, develop), the module was validated by experts (design 79%, language 87%, material 96%, practitioner 94%) and trialed with 92 students, achieving an average effectiveness score of 88%, categorized as “developing as expected.” Novelty: Unlike prior works, this module integrates multiple cultural elements (games, food, clothing, customs, language) into both print and digital formats, with comprehensive components (CP, TP, ATP, IKTP, RPPH, assessments, and LKS). Implications: The findings demonstrate that a culturally based module can effectively enhance children’s appreciation of local heritage, offering both practical tools for educators and theoretical contributions to culture-based early education
Highlights:
Integration of local culture strengthens children’s identity.
Validated module shows high feasibility and effectiveness.
Novel contribution: complete print–digital learning tools.
Keywords: Teaching Module, Local Culture, Early Childhood, Cultural Appreciation
Introduction
Early Childhood Education (ECE) plays an important role in building the foundation of a child's development, which includes cognitive, affective, and psychomotor aspects, and emphasizes learning through play and social interaction. Playing and learning in real experiences is very important for shaping a child's personality.[1] The early childhood education curriculum needs to be adapted to the local cultural context to be meaningful. North Lombok is rich in local culture (customs, arts, language, games, cuisine, clothing, and traditions), supported by regional regulations KLU No. 3/2022 and No. 6/2020.[2] However, globalization and cultural acculturation threaten local identity, as seen from the decline in the use of regional languages and the participation of the younger generation in traditions. Therefore, early cultural education is important to foster appreciation and preserve cultural heritage through collaboration between the government, educational institutions, and society.[3] Culturally-based teaching modules serve as a solution to instill values, meanings, and cultural pride, while also building character and identity in children. Introducing local culture at an early age fosters love and pride for the nation's culture, positively impacting the development of children's character and identity, as well as their contribution to cultural preservation.[4]
The integration of local culture such as batik enriches the learning experience, enhances creativity, artistic skills, and cultural awareness of children.[5] Meanwhile, character education based on local culture is effective in shaping a character generation in accordance with the values of Pancasila.[6] Although previous research results were positive, the focus was more on cognitive aspects. Specific studies on the development of teaching modules based on local culture to enhance cultural appreciation in early childhood are still limited. The novelty of this research is the development of a teaching module based on the local culture of North Lombok specifically aimed at early childhood, with a focus on enhancing cultural appreciation through knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The produced module is integrated into both print and digital media with complete components (CP, TP, ATP, IKTP, RPPH, assessments, and LKS), making it different from previous research that emphasized cognitive aspects or focused solely on one cultural element. This research is expected to provide a practical contribution in the form of ready-to-use learning tools for early childhood education teachers, as well as a theoretical contribution in strengthening models of learning based on local culture.
Method
The research conducted is R & D (Research and Development). The development model used in this research is the 4-D development model developed by Thiagarajan et al. (1974) which consists of four stages in the development procedure, namely: (1) Definition (define) (2) Design (design) (3) Development (develop) (4) Dissemination (disseminate). However, in this research, the researcher modified it to 3-D because it only goes up to the development stage without going through the dissemination stage. The data collection techniques in this research are expert validation instruments (design, language, material and practitioners), observation assessment sheets for product trials, and documentation. The analysis of data from expert validation instruments (design, language, material and practitioners) uses the average calculation formula according to the product feasibility assessment criteria that can be seen in the following formula and table:
Based on the table above, the culturally-based teaching module is deemed suitable with a minimum average percentage of 75%. Meanwhile, the data analysis on the product trial uses the average calculation formula according to the criteria for the success of the product trial, which can be seen in the following formula and table 2:
Based on the table above, the locally-based teaching module is stated to have successfully increased the appreciation of local culture among children with a minimum average percentage of 75%.
Results and Discussion
The researchers obtained several research results from the product development carried out using a development model modified into 3-D. This includes 3 stages: the definition stage (define), the design stage (design), and the development stage (develop). The stages are as follows:
It began with a needs analysis for the development of teaching modules based on local culture in Early Childhood Education (PAUD) Lombok Utara. Field observations indicated that there were no teaching modules based on local culture in Lombok Utara, due to a lack of teacher understanding about the integration of local culture, limited training, and insufficient teaching materials. This analysis concluded the necessity for new teaching modules as an additional reference for teachers. Furthermore, an analysis of the students showed that their understanding of the local culture of Lombok Utara was very low, hence a teaching module based on local culture was designed to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the cultural heritage of Lombok Utara.[6] Designing teaching modules based on local culture requires a deep understanding of the values, practices, and cultural symbols that are integrated, along with careful planning, including the selection of relevant themes, the development of authentic materials, and engaging learning activities.[7]
At this stage, after defining, the researcher designs the module, where the preparation begins with determining the learning materials consisting of traditional games (sir-siran), local languages (KLU), traditional foods (opak-opak), customs (menjungi), and traditional clothing (jong and sapuk). The development of the module must be based on the analysis of needs and conditions, including the identification of materials and available resources.[8] Next, the concept map is created based on the predetermined material. The learning concept map in this teaching module serves as a visual framework that connects various aspects of North Lombok culture.[9]
This concept map also guides the planning of relevant learning activity steps.[12] This means that concept maps not only show the relationships between materials, but also serve as a guide in organizing the steps of learning activities. As a result, every activity designed remains relevant and aligned with learning objectives. The activity steps (RPPH) provide a clear and systematic guide for teachers in implementing learning, facilitating implementation, and ensuring that learning objectives are achieved. Additionally, cultural experiences are brought to life through activities such as traditional role-playing of Menjungi, exploring the local food Opak-Opak, and using North Lombok language in everyday learning, thus not only introducing local culture theoretically, but also through direct experiences, social interactions, and emotional involvement of the children.[13]
Furthermore, the steps in the activities provide context for conducting assessments, developing assessment instruments such as initial assessment instruments, observation sheets, and anecdotal records that serve as a basis for analyzing and measuring the level of appreciation for local culture in children, which includes aspects of knowledge, behavior, and attitude. The observation sheets, anecdotal records, and student worksheets complement each other in providing a comprehensive picture of student development.[14]
After conducting the product feasibility test, the next step will be to conduct a product trial. The trial of the local culture-based teaching module was carried out in two early childhood education centers (PAUD) in North Lombok, namely PAUD Sifa Anjani NWDI and PAUD Kejora, involving 92 students. The results of the trial showed that the local culture-based teaching module can enhance preschool children's appreciation for local culture in North Lombok, as evidenced by an average score of 88% in the trial, categorized as developing as expected. This is in line with the opinion that education utilizing local cultural wisdom plays a positive role in enhancing children's appreciation for the culture they possess.[15] Children's awareness of culture plays an important role in preserving Indonesia's cultural heritage as a whole. The results of the trial can be seen in the following table:
Based on the results of validation and trial, the culturally-based teaching module has design specifications that include several elements, such as the cover, preface, brief description of the material, module identity, overview, concept map, initial assessment, learning outcomes, learning objectives, flow of learning objectives, achievement indicators, steps of activities (RPPH), assessment instructions, observation assessment sheets, anecdotal records, and student worksheets.[16] The teaching module should also include general information (title, author, institution, educational level, class, subject, time allocation), learning outcomes (formulation of learning outcomes and their indicators), SMART learning objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound), as well as learning activities (introduction and core activities).[17] Thus, the teaching module is designed to meet the educational needs that are suitable for early childhood and relevant to the cultural context of North Lombok.
Enhancing appreciation of local culture in North Lombok is a top priority in this teaching module, such as knowledge, attitudes, and behavior towards one's own culture, thus forming a generation with a strong identity and awareness of their cultural heritage. Character is an important aspect that determines the progress of a nation. The character of a nation greatly depends on the quality of its human resources (HR). Therefore, quality character needs to be nurtured from an early age so that children are accustomed to positive behaviors.
Conclusion
Based on research and development results, the teaching module based on the local culture of North Lombok has been successfully designed with design specifications that include cover, preface, module identity, overview, concept map, initial assessment, learning outcomes, learning objectives, flow of learning objectives, achievement indicators, steps of activities (RPPH), assessment guidelines, observation sheets, anecdotal notes, and student worksheets. The validation results from experts and field trials indicate that this module falls into the very feasible category and can enhance children's appreciation of the local culture of North Lombok. Thus, the objective of developing the module to instill understanding and love for local culture from an early age can be achieved, while also providing a positive contribution to learning in early childhood education.
Acknowledgments
The researchers would like to thank those who have helped with this research until its completion.
References
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