Implementation of Folklore-Based Storytelling as an Effort to Grow Children's Social Care Character

Abstract

Storytelling seems to be deeply connected with folklore as a way of passing moral and social beliefs to newer generations. This data is particularly relevant to current school practices, which recognize that social and emotional skills are integral to a child’s development and suggest that a culturally-sensitive intervention using common narrative forms could be pedagogically valuable. This research examines how one sample of a folklore-based storytelling program is being utilized to promote children's social care character, with a focus on empathy, cooperation, and social responsibility, through a mixed-method research design from a mixed sample of 120 five-to six-year-old children from different socio-cultural classes. In 12 weeks, participants took part in weekly storytelling sessions that were designed to be interactive and centered around folklore tales chosen for their moral content. Data on quantitative estimates were collected using standardized rating scales related to social care components, whereas qualitative information was gathered through semi-structured interviews and direct observation. Analysis data analysis showed significant positive changes in empathy and cooperative behavior at post-intervention, and statistically, two-sample paired t-tests from the comparison between the two groups of data showed a significant difference (p < 0.05). These findings were reinforced by the quantitative findings and suggest that narrative engagement has the potential to promote empathic processes and instill pro-social values within the classroom environment. These results indicate that folklore storytelling as a pedagogical tool in early childhood has a significant impact on building the social care character of children. Inclusion of folklore in modern education enhances cultural literacy and helps to develop the social and emotional areas of development. Future studies are suggested to investigate long-term outcomes and the application of narrative intervention across multiple educational contexts.