Ihya Ulum: Early Childhood Education Journal

Integration of Cultural Values in Character Education for Responsibility in Early Childhood: A Systematic Literature Review

Siti Khadijah Alam — 2026-03-30

Character education, particularly the value of responsibility, is a crucial foundation for personality formation in early childhood amid digital disruption that risks weakening social interaction and the internalization of local values. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of integrating local cultural values in shaping responsible character and children's socio-emotional skills, while also formulating a conceptual model for this integration. Using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method guided by PRISMA 2020, the search was conducted in the Scopus database (10 May 2026) using the keywords local wisdom, cultural value, character education, responsibility, and early childhood, yielding 13 selected articles (2023–2026). The findings show that the internalization of local wisdom through traditional games (Dakon, Gobag Sodor, Balinese games), socioculturally adaptive bibliotherapy, and local educational philosophies (the teachings of Ki Hadjar Dewantara, the Kauna character) effectively enhances children's responsibility, cooperation, and emotional regulation when pedagogically mediated in accordance with Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and Lickona's character education model. Three main clusters were identified: (1) curricula based on local wisdom, (2) reconstruction of classroom climate through creative media, and (3) sociocultural determinants and the strengthening of educators' cultural competence. The novelty of this research lies in formulating a conceptual model that integrates local culture with sociocultural theory in a manner responsive to the digital era, with the implication that early childhood education (PAUD) curricula need to combine local wisdom with digital literacy so that the formation of responsible character remains contextual and relevant to the times.

Digital Parenting Practices and The Development of Social-Emotional Character In Early Childhood: A Case Study At Wahyu Kindergarten

Nurjannah Nurjannah — 2026-03-30

The use of digital media by young children without parental supervision has been widely examined through quantitative approaches. However, qualitative research exploring how family digital parenting practices and teachers' roles jointly shape young children's social-emotional character within a small-scale early childhood education setting remains limited, particularly in the Indonesian context. This study addresses this gap by examining how parental digital parenting practices and teachers' roles collaboratively contribute to the development of children's social-emotional character at Wahyu Kindergarten. A qualitative case study design was employed, involving twelve purposively selected participants comprising one principal, three teachers, and eight parents. Data were collected through participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis, and were analyzed using data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The trustworthiness of the findings was ensured through source and methodological triangulation. The findings indicate that unsupervised digital device use is associated with reduced face-to-face social interaction, weakened self-discipline, and increased individualistic tendencies among young children. In contrast, communicative digital parenting accompanied by active parental guidance supports the development of responsibility, politeness, and social skills. These positive outcomes are further reinforced by teachers through behavioral modeling and the facilitation of positive peer interactions within the school environment. Theoretically, this study contributes a collaborative framework for parents and teachers to promote balanced digital parenting practices that support the development of young children's social-emotional character in early childhood education settings.

Environmental Health Literacy and Clean and Healthy Living Behavior Teaching Practices among Early Childhood Teachers: Mediating Role of Teaching Self-Efficacy

Edi Hasan — 2026-03-30

Implementing Clean and Healthy Living Behavior (CHLB) in early childhood education requires teachers with adequate Environmental Health Literacy (EHL) and strong Teaching Self-Efficacy (TSE). However, empirical evidence explaining how EHL translates into CHLB instructional practices remains limited. This study examined the effect of EHL on CHLB instructional practices, with TSE as a mediating variable. A quantitative explanatory research design was employed involving 150 kindergarten teachers from 53 kindergartens in Rappocini District, Makassar, Indonesia, selected through cluster sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire measuring three latent constructs: Environmental Health Literacy, Teaching Self-Efficacy, and CHLB instructional practices. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The results showed that EHL had a positive and significant effect on TSE (? = 0.747, p < 0.001) and CHLB instructional practices (? = 0.456, p < 0.001). TSE also positively influenced CHLB instructional practices (? = 0.272, p = 0.024) and partially mediated the relationship between EHL and CHLB instructional practices (? = 0.203, p = 0.031). These findings demonstrate that EHL is the primary driver of effective CHLB instructional practices, while TSE functions as a complementary psychological mechanism that translates teachers' competencies into instructional practice. The study extends the Health Literacy Framework and Social Cognitive Theory by explaining how teachers' environmental health competencies shape sustainable health-oriented teaching practices in early childhood education.

Literatur Review: The Implementation of Sociocultural Learning Based on Makassar Local Culture in Shaping Early Childhood Character

Asa Utami Sallewatang — 2026-03-30

This study aims to analyze the implementation of sociocultural learning based on Makassar local culture in shaping early childhood character in the era of digital disruption. Using a literature review method with a qualitative descriptive approach, secondary data from 10 reputable scientific articles published between 2020 and 2026 were selected through four stages of systematic screening and analyzed using content analysis techniques. The findings indicate that the internalization of the philosophical values of Sipakatau, Sipakalebbi, Sipakainge’, and Siri’ na Pacce effectively shapes children’s moral-affective character through teacher modeling, the modification of traditional games such as Ma’bom, oral literature such as pappaseng, and regional language stimulation. The novelty of this study lies in the integration of Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory with the reconstruction of Makassar local wisdom values as cyber-mediated cultural tools. The contribution of this study is the provision of a conceptual roadmap for strengthening partnerships among the three centers of education through the formulation of local culture-based digital parenting to mitigate the risks of virtual isolation and cultural alienation among Generation Alpha. The policy implications urge early childhood education administrators to integrate cultural matrices into the teaching modules of the Kurikulum Merdeka and require parents to apply active mediation in children’s gadget use through screen-time boundaries within the family environment

Local Wisdom-Based Multicultural Pedagogy: The Foundation of Character and Tolerance Building in Early Childhood Education

Muhammad Akil Musi — 2026-03-30

Early Childhood Education (ECE) plays a pivotal role in shaping children's character and foundational competence. However, integrating local wisdom into the curriculum is often uneven and risks fostering cultural bias if not systematically balanced with broader multicultural values. This study examines the conceptual frameworks, implementation strategies, and effectiveness of local culture integration while developing a comprehensive multicultural teaching model for ECE. Employing a systematic literature review design, this study analyzed peer-reviewed research articles published between 2017 and 2024. The data analysis process advanced through rigorous selection, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification, with trustworthiness established via theoretical triangulation. The synthesis of the literature revealed three core findings: (1) integrating cultural values, folklore, traditional rituals, and cooperative games significantly strengthens children's prosocial behaviors; (2) deploying flexible learning tools spanning digital, print, and physical modalities successfully accommodates diverse early childhood developmental needs; and (3) establishing a curriculum equilibrium fosters an optimal balance between local cultural pride and global tolerance. Grounded in Vygotsky's Socio-cultural Theory and Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Systems Theory, this study presents a structured pedagogical framework designed to mitigate cultural bias. This is achieved by leveraging educators' cultural competencies, structural policy support, and collaborative community teamwork. Ultimately, this research provides vital theoretical background and practical guidance for curriculum developers and ECE practitioners to engineer culturally sensitive, equitable, and highly inclusive early learning environments.

Cognitive Development: Enhancing Classification Skills in 5- to 6-Year-Olds Through Structured Manipulative Learning

Muqimah Surganingsih — 2026-03-30

Classification is a foundational cognitive skill required for early mathematics, yet children aged 5–6 years often struggle to transition from single-criterion to dual-criterion sorting due to cognitive centration. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a structured manipulative intervention, specifically the Shape and Color Sorting activity, in enhancing these skills. A quantitative approach with a pre-experimental, one-group pretest-posttest design was employed. Through total sampling, 20 children from Group B in Raudhatul Jannah Katangka Kindergarten were selected. Data gathered via structured pretest and posttest rubrics were analyzed using descriptive statistics, parametric assumption tests (normality and homogeneity), a paired samples t-test, and a simple linear regression analysis. Descriptive findings indicated substantial improvement in classification performance, shown by an increase in the mean conceptual score from 54.30 (±8.14) in the pretest to 66.95 (±7.63) in the posttest. The inferential analysis via a paired samples t-test confirmed this improvement was highly significant (t=3.632; df=19; p=0.001), proving that structured manipulative activities systematically reduced the children's cognitive centration. Furthermore, regression analysis demonstrated that initial baseline skills contributed 26.8% to the variance of posttest outcomes (R2=0.268; p=0.019). These findings conclude that structured manipulative activities are effective in expanding early childhood classification capacities. This study provides practical implications for early childhood educators to integrate multi-criteria manipulative sorting games within the curriculum to systematically support abstract logical reasoning and cognitive readiness.

Obstacle Jump Game in Stimulating Gross Motor Skills of Early Childhood

Ramlah Yusran — 2026-05-29

The development of gross motor skills in early childhood currently faces challenges due to an increasing sedentary lifestyle and gadget dependency, which impact the weakening of children's balance and physical coordination. This study aims to analyze the effect of the obstacle jump game on improving the gross motor skills of children aged 5–6 years in kindergarten. The research method used is quantitative with a quasi-experimental design of a pretest-posttest type without a control group. The research sample consisted of 20 children determined through a purposive sampling technique. Gross motor skills were measured through five main indicators, namely the ability to jump without assistance, running and jumping over obstacles, balance upon landing, movement coordination, as well as the children's courage and initiative. The intervention was carried out in a structured manner through six sessions of the obstacle jump game designed adaptively starting from the warming-up phase, gradual introduction of obstacles, to the cooling-down session. The data collection instrument was an observation sheet, while data analysis used the paired sample t-test assisted by SPSS version 23. The analysis results showed a t-value of 18.965 with a significance of 0.000 (p<0.05), indicating a significant increase in gross motor skills after the intervention was given. These findings indicate that the obstacle jump game is effective as a method of physical stimulation. This activity supports aspects of courage, body coordination, and children's active involvement in enjoyable physical activities, making it highly feasible to be integrated into early childhood education learning programs.

The Role of Teachers in Handling Bullying Among Children in Kindergarten Learning Environments

indriyani Indriyani — 2026-05-29

Bullying in early childhood represents a severe threat to the integrity of social-emotional development within the school environment. This study aims to analyze the manifestations of child bullying behavior in the learning environment of Pabata Ummi Kindergarten, as well as to evaluate the operationalization of teachers' strategic roles in detecting and intervening in such cases. A qualitative approach with a descriptive method was applied in this research. Data were gathered through a one-month passive participant observation, semi-structured in-depth interviews with the principal, classroom teacher, and parents, along with a documentary review of children's developmental anecdotal records. Data analysis was conducted interactively, encompassing data reduction, thematic data display, and conclusion drawing. The results indicated that physical bullying (pushing, seizing items), verbal bullying (mocking parents' names, taunting peers' abilities), and relational bullying (social exclusion from playgroups) still frequently occurred, particularly during free-play hours due to limited daily supervision ratios. Educators play a vital role as counselors, facilitators, and motivators by implementing a conducive classroom environment and executing humanistic, non-violent, curative-restorative measures. Nevertheless, teacher interventions remain reactive-spontaneous based on personal empirical experience, due to the absence of standard operational guidelines at school and a lack of formal competency training. This study recommends the importance of strengthening anti-bullying conceptual literacy for educators through continuous workshops, alongside the necessity of synchronous positive parenting synergy with parents to dismantle the normalization bias of childhood violence in order to establish a safe, inclusive, and child-friendly early childhood education unit.