Developing Contextualized Picture Storybooks for Disaster Education: A Riau Malay Approach to Building Resilience in Young Children

Abstract

Early childhood disaster education often relies on generic materials that overlook local culture, limiting children's engagement and retention. Riau Province, Indonesia, an area prone to floods, haze, and earthquakes, possesses rich Malay oral traditions that could contextualize disaster-risk messages for young learners. This study aimed to design, validate, and evaluate picture storybooks incorporating Riau Malay teaching guidelines to enhance disaster-response attitudes in preschool children. A five-phase design-based research approach was employed. Needs analysis involved 38 teachers, six disaster-risk experts, and 112 parents through focus groups and curriculum mapping. Traditional maxims, folklore motifs, and hazard-specific safety steps were woven into four illustrated narratives during design and development. An expert review (n = 12) yielded high content validity indices (CVI = 0.94). Field implementation used a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design with 142 children (intervention = 71; comparison = 71) across six preschools. Disaster Response Attitude Scale scores were analyzed with ANCOVA, supplemented by thematic coding of teacher interviews and children's drawings. Intervention pupils exhibited significantly greater attitude gains than the control group (adjusted M = 4.62 vs. 3.98, F (1,139) = 15.87, p < .001, η² = 0.10). Qualitative data revealed enhanced vocabulary ("lindungi diri"), narrative recall, and enacted drill behaviours.