Ethnosocial-Based Differentiated Digital Learning Model to Enhance Nationalistic Insight

1 Introduction

Nationalism is a thorough grasp of national ideals, citizens’ rights and obligations, and how citizens love their nation and country (Bideau & Kilani, 2012; Kumar & Jan, 2013). Nationalistic understanding is not only information but also a component of citizens’ efforts to strengthen a sense of togetherness amidst diversity. Nationalistic insight is required in society’s diversity, such as ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural, and religious differences, which can be used to foster mutual respect and establish a harmonious living (Junaeda, Kesuma, Sumilih, Dahlan, & Bahri, 2022; Mukri & Waspiah, 2023). In the age of globalization, outside cultures significantly impact people’s lives, particularly the younger generation. The era of globalization enables the younger generation to have widespread and open access to knowledge, which influences their life processes. If a thorough grasp of national identity does not balance this impact, it will lead to weak national connections. Nationalistic insight serves to safeguard individuals against the impact of outside cultures that do not align with local values. Nationalistic insight enables individuals to filter these influences and adapt to prevalent beliefs and norms while keeping their national identity.

Individuals with a national understanding can deter national disintegration (Isabella, 2017). Ethnic and social diversity, which is part of the nation’s wealth, can cause conflict if not managed properly (Sukma, 2021). Individuals with a nationalistic perspective can benefit from seeing diversity as a shared strength to achieve common goals. This process is critical to ensuring the country’s stability and integrity. As a result, nationalistic understanding must be imparted to the population at a young age, beginning with elementary school.

Nationalistic awareness should be formed in elementary school because this is the first stage in developing a child’s character and basic values (Zulela, Neolaka, Iasha, & Setiawan, 2022; Zulfikar, Permady, & Sudirman, 2023). Elementary school-aged children are in a vital stage of cognitive and emotional development. Children in this era can understand social values and moral concepts, as well as establish their own identities. The process of instilling nationalistic awareness in elementary school students will help them comprehend and respect the idea of unity in diversity, as well as the value of patriotism (Cahyani & Isah, 2016; Izzati & Adiarti, 2020). Developing patriotic insights in primary school will create a young generation that will value diversity in religion, ethnicity, and culture. Students with a high level of nationalistic insight will find it simpler to acquire empathy, tolerance, and the ability to cooperate with others without questioning their nationality. This concept is crucial in today’s multicultural life.

Furthermore, nationalistic awareness is crucial for elementary school pupils to acquire as at that age children often get fast impacted by the information, they encounter both from the media and peers (Mubarok & Anggraini, 2021). By giving national insight, students are not only taught the importance of national values but also taught how to apply these principles in their daily lives. Students will grow up with strong national ideals toward their country. This process will produce individuals with a strong social duty to protect national unity. As a result, it is critical to ensure that elementary school pupils get the best possible nationalistic insights.

However, according to the literature review, elementary school kids have low nationalistic awareness (Fitri & Habiby, 2023; Hendrowibowo, Harsoyo, & Sunarso, 2020; Saputro, Winarni, & Indriayu, 2020; Wahyani, Ma’ruf, Rahmawati, Prastiwi, & Rahmawati, 2022; Widiana, Tegeh, & Artanayasa, 2021; Wulandari & Senen, 2018). Elementary school kids’ limited nationalistic insight is shown in their lack of comprehension of student nationalism (Saputra, Murdiono, & Tohani, 2023). Many pupils lack an extensive knowledge of national symbols and the concept of nationalism; therefore, they have no emotional connection to these values. Furthermore, elementary school pupils with little nationalistic understanding are more likely to grasp foreign cultural values than their national values. Students become more familiar with foreign cultures through digital entertainment/technology, while their own culture is undervalued (Djumadiono, 2019; Sari & Dahnial, 2021).

This is supported by observations made by researchers at five state primary schools in Indonesia. Based on these observations, many pupils lack a love for their nation and a knowledge of state symbols. This observation is evidenced by the fact that many pupils are unenthusiastic about performing the flag ceremony, which is a mandatory program every Monday to commemorate the services of the nation’s fighters. Even when asked about the meaning of the state symbol and the colors of the flag, many students misinterpreted them. Observations revealed that many students were unfamiliar with the country’s history. Many students struggled to identify heroes and significant events in the country’s independence process. Furthermore, many students are not enthusiastic about commemorating Independence Day. This finding indicates that primary school pupils lack nationalistic awareness.

To obtain accurate data, the researcher conducted an initial measurement of elementary school children’s nationalistic insight with 600 fifth-grade students. The results of the initial measurement are as follows:

Table 1 shows that the initial measurement results for each aspect of national insight are in the low category. This lack of patriotic awareness must be addressed promptly so that elementary school pupils can become individuals who are accountable to the nation and state.

According to the researcher’s findings, primary school pupils’ lack of nationalistic awareness is due to a poor learning process established in schools. The existing learning procedure remains same and does not consider pupils’ ethnic backgrounds or requirements. This procedure leads to a lack of connection with nationalist learning. The learning process also does not fully integrate local culture, so pupils do not comprehend the meaning of diversity and the need of tolerance in differences. Furthermore, the existing learning process remains conventional without the use of technology, making the learning process dull because it is out of date. The learning process remains in the form of lectures and memorization without student participation, causing pupils to become uninterested and bored shortly afterward. This technique makes learning about nationality monotonous. Furthermore, the learning process is not inclusive, and teachers are not allowed to modify the learning model, resulting in students having a limited area for recognizing cultural differences that form national identity. This method also leads to kids preferring to work independently rather than collaboratively. Current learning does not enable students to participate in project activities that directly investigate national values. This learning situation shows the necessity for learning adjustments that can help with these issues to build primary school kids’ patriotic insights.

Based on this situation, earlier studies created an ethnological-based differentiated digital learning model. The ethnological-based digital learning approach incorporates components of digital technology, customized learning, and local cultural values. This learning paradigm is intended to make learning more engaging by incorporating interactive technologies. This strategy helps primary school pupils learn nationality in a fun way by promoting diversity and allowing instructors to tailor instruction. This model also includes project tasks that encourage students to absorb national values, making it appropriate for use in efforts to enhance elementary school students’ national understanding. Three learning design specialists have pronounced this ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning paradigm valid and practical for use.

However, earlier study was limited to assessing the model’s feasibility. As a result, more study is needed to establish the impact of an ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning approach on elementary school kids’ nationalistic insight.

This research has never been undertaken. Previous studies have begun to investigate the development of nationalistic insight. Priyambodo, Sukartiningsih, and Hum (2021) investigated the process of creating an effective interactive digital map media to increase critical thinking abilities connected to the nature of nationalism in elementary school children. Puspasari, Abidin, Rusdiyani, and Afifah (2020) investigated the construction of an ethnomathematics-based problem-based learning learning paradigm that effectively increases students’ sense of nationalism. Usman et al. (2020) investigated the construction of effective multicultural education teaching materials to improve the nationalism of future elementary school teachers. These studies demonstrate that this research differs from earlier studies.

This study focuses on the use of an ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model that combines digital methods with diverse and ethnosocial-based approaches, specifically for elementary school students, and directly measures the effect of this model on elementary school students’ nationalistic insight. Thus, this study aims to investigate the impact of the Ethnosocial-Based Differentiated Digital Learning Model on primary school students’ nationalistic insight.

2 Literature Review

3 Research Methodology

This is a quasi-experimental study, using a nonequivalent control design. This research addresses the hypothesis, specifically:

• Ho: There is no difference in the average disaster insight between students who follow conventional learning (control class) and students who follow the ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model (experimental class).

• H1: There is an average difference in disaster insight between students who follow conventional learning (control class) and students who follow the ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model (experimental class).

This study included 600 Indonesian primary school students in grade 5. A total of 300 elementary school students were divided into two groups: the control group, which learned conventionally, and the experimental group, which learned using an ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model.

The sampling approach utilized in this study was purposive sampling. This purposive sample strategy was adopted to ensure that the elementary school students engaged met the research objectives. Etikan, Musa, and Alkassim (2016) defined purposive sampling as a sampling technique in which researchers purposefully pick samples to satisfy certain research objectives. The reasons for selecting this purposive sampling technique include:

4 Research Results

After receiving 2 days of instruction, teachers adopted the ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model with their students. During this training, teachers are taught syntax, the social system, the reaction principle, the support system, instructional impact, and accompanying impact. Teachers are also instructed on how to use digital platforms, construct customized learning, and incorporate local cultural components into learning activities.

After receiving training, teachers were expected to implement the learning model. Teachers in the experimental class used an ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning approach, whereas teachers in the control class used a conventional learning model. The implementation process lasted 6 months. During the implementation of the teacher learning model, monitoring was carried out to ensure that the teacher’s learning was consistent with the developed model. Three major approaches were used to monitor the fidelity of the model implementation. First, researchers conducted direct observation for half of the learning session to check that the model’s implementation phases were consistent with the design. Second, teachers were requested to complete an evaluation sheet after each learning session to record the activities completed, the problems faced, and the level of student participation. Third, at the end of each week, teachers meet to discuss the model’s implementation progress.

In the experimental class, students learned through an ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning approach that included an introduction, initial exploration, learning differentiation, material deepening, authentic assessment, evaluation, and follow-up. In one example of implementing an ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model, at the start of the learning process in the introduction stage, the teacher conveyed the learning theme “Cultural Diversity of the Archipelago” and learning objectives: understanding local cultural values and connecting them to national insight. As a practical step, teachers could use folktales from the student’s study area. Students in West Sumatra, for example, can use the narrative of Batu Malin Kundang as a lesson starter. The teacher also displayed a short video about local traditions, such as traditional dances or usual ceremonies, to capture students’ interest and explain how this learning relates to their daily lives.

At the initial exploration stage, students were requested to share their basic understanding of their respective local cultural traditions through short talks or presentations. Students from Java, for example, may discuss batik, but those from Bali may discuss the ngaben heritage. Teachers utilize a digital platform like Padlet to generate the cultural map and collect the replies from their students. To help students understand, teachers showed interactive videos or 3D simulations of traditional musical instruments and houses. This technique allows educators to obtain a deeper knowledge of their students’ various levels of comprehension and cultural experiences, which serves as the foundation for implementing learning differentiation.

At the learning differentiation stage, teachers separated students into groups based on their learning styles (which had been identified at the beginning of school) and level of comprehension. For example, students who use visual learning styles are given materials about local traditions and infographics. Meanwhile, students who use kinesthetic learning styles are given video instructions to make simple batik. In addition, students who use reflective learning styles are given narrative texts about local culture to examine its cultural values. Furthermore, teachers presented real-life examples of how traditional ceremonies represent values of togetherness and community service, all are linked to academic concepts such as national insight in Civic Education.

During the material deepening phase, students were invited to collaborate in groups to develop projects that connected academic concepts with local culture. Examples of projects included creating a digital presentation on “The Role of Local Culture in Maintaining National Unity” and developing a short video documentary of traditional practices in each region, along with an appraisal of its values. Teachers provided video lessons to help students comprehend the project.

The following stage is reflection and application. Students should reflect and apply what they have learned. The teacher asked them to record their reflections in digital journals or video logs (vlogs). One recommended reflection question is, “What lessons did I learn from this traditional ceremony?” How can I apply this principle in my daily life? Students were invited to plan a school activity that included different local cultures, such as a cultural festival or a traditional attire competition.

During the authentic assessment phase, teachers assessed students’ learning through portfolios or digital projects that included ethnosocial values. Students, for example, produced an interactive infographic depicting local traditions while keeping national principles in mind. A pre-prepared criteria was utilized to examine student’s capacity to connect academic concepts to local culture. Finally, evaluation and follow-up occur. The teacher thoroughly reviewed the learning process, noting the approaches’ strengths and faults. Furthermore, teachers provided enrichment to students who had a strong understanding of the culture, such as in-depth discussions regarding the role of culture in the formation of national identity. Teachers also gave extra support to less engaged students, such as through more focused individual talks.

In conventional classrooms, learning starts with an introduction from the teacher to express the learning theme and objectives. The teacher then presented the materials to the students. Following the presentation, students were given tasks based on the subject presented. In the final stage, the teacher conducted a perception equation with students, which involved ensuring that pupils understood the content equitably through discussion or question-answer sessions that focused on the most significant parts of the subject acquired. Following that, the teacher evaluated the exercises that the students completed. This evaluation was conducted using a test designed to examine students’ nationalistic insights, with a focus on their ability to connect academic topics to relevant local and national cultural values.

At the end of the learning process, each class was assessed for nationalistic insight using a prepared test. Table 3 of the data tabulation displays the findings of the measurement of nationalistic insight.

Table 3 data tabulation shows the scores earned by students in the control and experimental classes. Furthermore, the normality measurement is performed to determine whether the data being utilized is normally distributed, which is required for further measurements. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov computation is used in this normality test since the calculated sample exceeds 100 samples. Table 4 displays the results of the normality test calculations.

From Table 4, the normality test results in the Sig value section show that the Sig value is greater than 0.05. This result shows that all classes are normally distributed. These results indicate that the following measurement, the paired sample t-test, can be performed. The paired sample t-test compares two data sets to determine whether there is a difference between pre-test scores and post-test scores. The paired sample t-test was used to compare the control and experimental groups in terms of enhancing students’ nationalistic insight.

This test is specifically designed to answer the question of whether the ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning approach influences primary school students’ nationalistic insight. The calculation results are shown in Table 5 of the paired sample t-test findings.

Table 5 shows that the Sig. (two-tailed).000 is less than 0.05. This finding demonstrates that there is an average difference between the Pre-test Experiment and Post-test Experiment groups. This research suggests that the ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning paradigm has an impact on primary school students’ nationalistic insight. In pair 2, the Sig. (two-tailed) score is 0.212, which is greater than 0.05. This finding demonstrates that there is no difference in the average between the Pre-test Experiment and Post-test Experiment groups. This finding demonstrates that conventional learning models do not affect elementary school kids’ nationalistic insight.

The next measurement is effect size. The purpose of this measurement is to determine the amount of influence that an ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model has on primary school pupils’ nationalistic insight. Table 6 shows the effect size calculations.

Table 6 shows that the ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model has a considerable influence on the nationality of elementary school children, as indicated by an R-value of 0.883. The R Square value also indicates that the deployment of ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning models influences 84.3% of elementary school kids’ nationality insight, with the remainder influenced by other factors. Given the effect size, it is possible to conclude that using an ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning paradigm has a considerable impact on elementary school kids’ nationalistic insight.

To sharpen the findings, an independent sample t-test was used. Previously, a homogeneity variance test was performed as a basic assumption need. Table 7 displays the homogeneity test calculations as follows:

According to the calculation findings in Table 7, the Sig. Value in the based on mean section is 0.218 higher than 0.05. This finding indicates that both data sets are derived from homogeneous data. After determining that the group has a homogeneous variance, the paired sample t-test can be performed. The paired sample t-test compares the nationalistic insights of students in the control and experimental groups. In particular, the calculation seeks to answer the question “Is there a difference in the nationalistic insight of elementary school students between the group that learns using the ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model and the group that learns using the conventional learning model?” The data compared is the data obtained after the learning process occurrence (post-test). The independent sample t-test findings are as follows:

In Table 8, the sig. value is 0.000. This sign value is less than 0.05. This finding indicates that there is an average difference in nationalistic insight between elementary school students who learn using an ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model and elementary school students who learn using a conventional learning model. This difference is also evident in the post-test results of the experimental and control classes in Table 1. To make things easier, refer to Figure 1.

Figure 1

Control class and experimental class scores.

Figure 1 shows that students in the control class (learning with conventional learning models) had a lower average score (53.33) than students in the experimental class (91.26) (learning with ethnosicial-based differentiated digital learning model). This significant distinction demonstrates the effectiveness of the ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model in enhancing students’ nationalistic insight. This figure clearly shows that students who learn utilizing an ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning approach are influential and effective in improving elementary school students’ nationalistic insight.

The results of this calculation also show that students with diverse learning styles have a higher value of national insight when they learn utilizing an ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model. The figure below illustrates this.

Figure 2 shows that the average national insight score increased significantly across three types of learning (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic). For example, students with a visual learning style had an average pre-test score of 45.5, which improved to 90.5 on the post-test. Students with auditory (45.9–91) and kinesthetic (46.18–92.28) learning methods showed similar increases.

Figure 2

Mean score of nationalistic insight based on learning style of elementary school students.

This finding indicates that the ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model can assist students with diverse learning styles in better understanding the subject provided and improving their nationalistic perspective. Thus, the findings of this study support the notion that the ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning paradigm improves elementary school kids’ nationalistic insights, regardless of their learning styles.

5 Discussion

Overall, this study demonstrates that an ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning strategy improves elementary school students’ nationalistic insight. This study presents an innovative approach to increasing students’ nationalistic awareness by merging digital technology with their ethnosocial (social and cultural) background, which has not previously been studied by scholars. Ricoy and Sánchez-Martínez (2022) found that using a digital approach with gamification can improve ecological awareness and digital literacy among elementary school students in Spain. However, the study only focuses on environmental awareness and does not consider ethnosocial aspects. Research conducted by Kiwango (2020) examined the integration of technology during out-of-school learning in Tanzania, to improve academic achievement. The study focuses on the importance of contextualizing technology in the school learning process without linking it to national insight dimensions. Guo’s research (2023) investigated digital learning models within the context of macro-education changes that aim to boost students’ digital abilities and innovation. This study claims that academic learning has improved, however, it does not investigate ethnosocial components.

Chen et al. (2017) investigated how a mobile-based learning approach may improve primary school pupils’ metacognition awareness. This learning style can promote metacognitive awareness, involvement, and academic accomplishment, but it does not address ethnosocial and national insight. Castañeda, Marín, and Villar-Onrubia (2023) research underlined the significance of building critical digital literacy abilities in prospective educators in Spain. This study attempted to improve digital skills and teacher education, but it did not look at digital learning through a more nationalistic view, as this one did. As a result, this study presents an innovative contribution by merging differentiated and ethnosocial approaches in the digital learning process designed to increase primary school kids’ nationalistic insight. This discovery is significant for the learning process in primary schools because there is currently limited study linking digital learning technology with ethnosocial aspects (local culture) in the context of growing national insight.

6 Conclusion

This study demonstrates how an ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model influences primary school students’ nationalistic insights. Those who learn through an ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning approach have a higher level of nationalistic understanding than those who learn conventionally.

7 Research Limitations

Some drawbacks to this study should be noted. First, this research was developed as a quasi-experiment. This means that students were not randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. This may lead to biases, such as differences in baseline characteristics between groups, affecting the study’s outcomes. The findings of this study may not be generalizable to different populations or educational situations, despite efforts to ensure that all students were equal in terms of average academic grades and socioeconomic background.

Second, to apply the digital learning model, this study will require proper access to technology. Limited devices or internet connections in specific regions may make it difficult to apply this concept. Furthermore, the success of this model is strongly dependent on the teacher’s ability to understand the pedagogical technology content knowledge framework (TPACK). This ability is required to successfully combine technology, learning materials, and ethnosocial approaches.

8 Research Future Recommendation

Future research is required to address the current constraints and broaden the scope of the application of the ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model. One alternative study option is to create more contextualized and diversified learning materials that span a broader spectrum of ethnicity and cultural studies to fully depict the diversity of national culture. In addition, long-term or longitudinal studies are required to assess the model’s impact over time, including its influence on students’ attitudes, behaviors, and nationalistic perspectives. Researchers might also investigate the use of increasingly innovative technologies, such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence, to make students’ learning experiences more engaging and immersive. This study’s direction seeks to improve the effectiveness of learning models in a variety of diverse educational contexts.