Improving Retelling Abilities Through the Integration of Local Storytelling and The 5W1H Framework in Elementary School Students

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of integrating local wisdom-based storytelling with the 5W1H framework to improve elementary students' retelling skills. The novelty lies in combining culturally contextual storytelling with a structured comprehension framework. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design involved 27 fourth-grade students at SDN Jombor 02 Sukoharjo, with data collected during the intervention using retelling rubrics, 5W1H worksheets, observations, and documentation. Paired-samples t-test showed a significant improvement in retelling skills (t = 10.43, p < .001) with a very large effect size (Cohen's d = 2.01). Students also demonstrated improved story comprehension and local vocabulary mastery. These findings indicate that this integrated approach provides an effective and culturally meaningful literacy strategy for elementary Indonesian language instruction.