The Designing a 2D Animation as an Educational Medium for Introducing Minangkabau Culture to Early Childhood

Designing a 2D Animation as an Educational Medium for Introducing Minangkabau Culture to Early Childhood

Abstract

This study aims to design a 2D animation as an educational medium for introducing Minangkabau culture to early childhood and to evaluate its feasibility and practicality. It is a feasibility-oriented development study and does not test learning effectiveness. The research used the ADDIE model, consisting of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The needs analysis showed that teachers lacked ready-to-use digital media containing Minangkabau cultural content, while children responded well to moving images, simple narratives, repetition, and clear narration. A 6-minute 30-second 2D animation was developed with a teacher guide, integrating Minangkabau cultural elements such as traditional clothing (baju kuruang and tanduak), greetings, food (rendang), the rumah gadang, and community values such as musyawarah and gotong royong. Expert validation by media, early childhood education, and cultural experts rated the animation as very feasible (overall mean 3.55 of 4). Teacher practicality assessment also yielded a very practical category (overall mean 3.50). In a teacher-facilitated trial with 15 children, observers rated attention as high for 80.0% of children and interest as high for 86.7%, whereas emergent understanding of cultural content, defined as observable early signs of recognizing the cultural elements shown, was rated high for 60.0%. Because all children viewed the animation with teacher facilitation and there was no comparison condition, the study cannot show whether mediation changed understanding; teacher-guided use, repetition, and pre-viewing and post-viewing activities are offered as design recommendations, not as tested effects. The study contributes a practical design example, including a storyboard, character design sheet, and teacher guide that educators and designers can adapt. However, the small sample, single setting, absence of a comparison group, and absence of retention measures limit generalization. Future research could use a larger sample, a quasi-experimental design, and a longer implementation period.