Integrating Interactive Storytelling into Early Childhood Education: A Pedagogical Framework Within Indonesia’s Merdeka Curriculum
Main Article Content
Abstract
The Indonesia’s Merdeka Curriculum offers a new paradigm in the learning process. Principle of the differentiation, its approach to providing learning freedom for students and flexibility for educators in designing learning activities. Learning should be carried out in an interactive, inspiring, enjoyable, and challenging. Interactive storytelling is one of the first approaches to teaching and learning in early childhood education. It combining elements of narrative, visuals, and child interaction. This study aims to describe the concept, benefits, and implementation strategies of interactive storytelling. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, data were collected through literature studies, teacher interviews, and documentation. The findings show that interactive storytelling can stimulate the imagination of early childhood, improve socialization, experience, and concentration. In addition, interactive storytelling can also increase the motivation and curiosity of early childhood, as well as their social-emotional abilities. Early childhood teachers use interactive storytelling to create engaging learning settings for students. Therefore, the implementation of interactive storytelling serves as an effective pedagogical strategy to create meaningful, enjoyable, character, and learning experiences that align with the Pancasila Student Profile in Indonesia’s Merdeka Curriculum.
Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
![]()
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
Bruce, T., Mcnair, L., & Whinnett, J. (2020). Putting Storytelling at the Heart of Early Childhood Practice. Routledge.
Deguara, J. (2025). Rethinking The Early Childhood Curriculum : Learning and Teaching as Relational, Contextual and Co-constructed. International Journal of Early Years Education, 33(3). https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2025.2546237
Gunawardena, M., & Brown, B. (2021). Fostering Values Through Authentic Storytelling. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 46(6), 36–53. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2021v46n6.3
Hasibuan, N. S., Pulungan, H. R., Azelia, C., Hutabarat, A. P., Nanda, N., & Wahyudi, A. (2024). Development of Mandailing Natal Folklore Teaching Materials Based on Local Wisdom of Marsali With the Aid of Canva Online Comics. Indonesian Journal of Educational Development (IJED), 5(3), 385–393. https://doi.org/10.59672/ijed.v5i3.4106
Hidayati, N. N. (2019). Storytelling: One Package Learning in Improving Language Skill and Implanting Character Education on Children. Edukasi, 7(2). http://library1.nida.ac.th/termpaper6/sd/2554/19755.pdf
Jayawardana, H. B. ., Noviyanti, A. I., Hidayanto, N. E., & Gita, R. S. D. (2022). Analisis Implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka pada Fase Fondasi. JECIE (Journal of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education), 6(1), 8–15. https://doi.org/10.31537/jecie.v6i1.710
Katsampoxaki-hodgetts, K., Papadakis, S., Kotsidis, K., & Anastasiades, P. (2025). Reimagining Preschool Pedagogy: AI-Enhanced Teaching Through Multiliteracies-Informed Curriculum Innovation. The 6th International Baltic Symposium on Science and Technology Education, 104–119.
Kawuryan, F., & Raharjo, T. (2012). Pengaruh Stimulasi Visual Untuk Meningkatkan Kemampuan Membaca Pada Anak Disleksia. Jurnal Psikologi Pitutur, 1(1), 9–20.
Kristiyanti, L., Mulyana, E., Nurhayati, S., & Zahra, L. F. (2025). Enhancing Early Childhood Educators ’ Competence : The Impact of a Structured Book Planner on Implementing the Merdeka Curriculum. IJECA (International Journal of Education & Curriculum Application), 8(1), 78–90.
Lestari, P. I., & Prima, E. (2023). Pengaruh Metode Storytelling Berbasis Kearifan Lokal Bali terhadap Kemampuan Bahasa Anak Usia Dini. Jurnal Obsesi : Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 7(2), 1295–1301. https://doi.org/10.31004/obsesi.v7i1.3012
Lestari, P. I., & Prima, E. (2025). Konsep Model Pembelajaran Picture and Picture dalam Kurikulum Merdeka Jenjang Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini. Seminar Ilmiah Nasional Teknologi, Sains, Dan Sosial Humaniora (SINTESA), 7, 875–880.
Lisenbee, P. S., & Ford, C. M. (2018). Engaging Students in Traditional and Digital Storytelling to Make Connections Between Pedagogy and Children’s Experiences. Early Childhood Education Journal, 46(1), 129–139. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-017-0846-x
Listiani, H., Judijanto, L., Labib, M., Andriyani, A., Lusida, N., Filhaq, R., & Hapsari, R. K. M. (2025). Panduan Penulisan Karya Ilmiah Strategi Untuk Penelitian Berkualitas. PT Sonpedia Publishing Indonesia.
Lukman, L. (2019). Aktualisasi Multiple Intelligences Pada Anak Usia 5-6 Tahun Melalui Permainan Outbound Di Taman Kanak-Kanak Islam Pelangi Anak Negeri Yogyakarta. PELANGI: Jurnal Pemikiran Dan Penelitian Islam Anak Usia Dini, 1(1), 20–35. https://doi.org/10.52266/pelangi.v1i1.277
Maranatha, J. R., Wulandari, H., & Briliany, N. (2024). Early Empathy : Impact of Digital Storytelling , Traditional- Storytelling , and Gender on Early Childhood. Jurnal Pendidikan Usia Dini, 18(1).
Meuthia, N., & Suyadi, S. (2021). Penggunaan Media Permainan Dadu Untuk Meningkatkan Kemampuan Kognitif Anak Usia Dini. PAUDIA : Jurnal Penelitian Dalam Bidang Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 10(2), 357–366. https://doi.org/10.26877/paudia.v10i2.8905
Mu, C. (2018). A Research on Storytelling of Interactive documentary: Towards a New Storytelling Theory Model. In Interactive Storytelling. ICIDS: Vol. 11318 LNCS. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04028-4_18
Nafisa, M. D., & Fitri, R. (2023). Implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka Dalam Penerapan Pembelajaran Berdiferensiasi di Lembaga PAUD. Jurnal Studi Guru Dan Pembelajaran, 6(2), 179–188. https://doi.org/10.30605/jsgp.6.2.2023.2840
Ndari, S. S., & Chandrawaty, C. (2018). Telaah Kurikulum Pendidikan Anak Usia Dimi. In Edu Publisher. Edu Publisher. http://repository.uhamka.ac.id/2145/1/TELAAH KURIKULUM PDF.pdf.
Ofori-Attah, K. (2021). Early childhood education and instructional ecology: A vygotskian approach in teaching early childhood social studies. Athens Journal of Education, 8(2), 139–160. https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.8-2-2
Ouhiba, N. M. (2022). The Role of Literature in Boosting EFL University Students’ Critical Thinking: Case of First-year Students in Algeria. Arab World English Journal, 13(1), 477–485. https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol13no1.31
Purnawanto, A. T. (2022). Pembelajaran Berdiferensiasi. Jurnal Ilmiah Pedagody, 2(1).
Puspasari, D., Samidi, S., & Chumdari, C. (2016). Penggunaan Media Boneka Jari Untuk Peningkatan Keterampilan Menyimak Dongeng Pada Siswa Sekolah Dasar. Didaktika Dwija Indria, 4(12), 1–6.
Retnaningsih, L. E., & Khairiyah, U. (2022). Kurikulum Merdeka Pada Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini. Seling: Jurnal Program Studi PGRA, 8(2), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.69503/ijert.v4i1.579
Rodríguez, I., Clemente, M., Ramírez, E., & Martin-Domínguez, J. (2018). How and for how long is literacy taught in early childhood education? A multiple-case study of the classroom practices of seven teachers. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 26(5), 738–759. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2018.1522759
Sari, D. M., Muthohar, S., & Mursid, M. (2025). Implementasi Metode Bercerita Interaktif untuk Mengembangkan Kemampuan Berbicara Pada Anak Usia Dini. PAUDIA : Jurnal Penelitian Dalam Bidang Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 14(2), 226–241. https://doi.org/10.26877/paudia.v14i2.1573
Satriana, M., Heriansyah, M., & Maghfirah, F. (2022). The Use of Shared Reading Books in Indonesian Early Childhood. Education 3-13, 50(6), 777–788. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2021.1912134
Sriwahyuni, E., Asvio, N., & Nofialdi, N. (2016). Metode Pembelajaran Yang Digunakan Paud (Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini) Permata Bunda. ThufuLA: Jurnal Inovasi Pendidikan Guru Raudhatul Athfal, 4(1), 44–62. https://doi.org/10.21043/thufula.v4i1.2010
Sugiyono. (2019). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif Kualitatif R&D. Alfabeta.
Villarroel, V., Boud, D., Bloxham, S., Bruna, D., & Bruna, C. (2020). Using principles of authentic assessment to redesign written examinations and tests. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 57(1), 38–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2018.1564882
Wagner, C. J. (2019). Connections Between Reading Identities and Social Status in Early Childhood. TESOL Quarterly, 53(4), 1060–1082. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.529
Wahdian, A., & Arifah, S. (2025). Scratch as An Innovative Learning Media to Improve Indonesian Language Understanding in Elementary School Students. Indonesian Journal of Educational Development (IJED), 6(1), 68–79. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.59672/ijed.v6i1.4658
Wahyuningsih, D., & Küçükoğlü, A. (2025). Integrating Experiential Learning into the Merdeka Curriculum for Early Childhood Education in Indonesia. Jurnal Obsesi: Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 9, 1457–1467. https://doi.org/10.31004/obsesi.v9i5.7020
Wondal, R. (2015). Meningkatkan Kemampuan Bercerita Anak Melalui Metode Karya Wisata. Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 9(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/DOI: https://doi.org/10.21009/JPUD.091DOI: https://doi.org/10.21009/JPUD.091.01
Xie, C., Ladin, C. A., & Yahya, A. N. (2025). Integrating Digital Tools in Early Childhood Music Education: Pedagogical Strategies For Enhancing Teacher Development and Preschoolers’ Engagement. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 9(3), 84–101.
Xing, Y., Xiao, Y., & Luo, Y. (2024). Integrating Restoration and Interactive Xxploration to Enhance Cultural Heritage Through VR Storytelling. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-72182-9
Yohanes, R. S. (2010). Teori Vygotsky dan Implikasinya terhadap Pembelajaran Matematika. Widya Warta, 24(02), 127–135.