Innovative History Learning: Teaching Islam’s Spread in Indonesia

with Audiovisual Media

Nur Aeni Marta

, Abrar and Firdaus Hadi Santosa

History Education, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia

Keywords: History Education, Multicultural Awareness, Audio-Visual Teaching Materials.

Abstract: This research explores the development of audio-visual teaching materials with a multicultural focus for

history lessons on the introduction and spread of Islam in Indonesia. The goal is to enhance students'

multicultural awareness and societal tolerance. With rapid technological advancements, engaging and

effective audio-visual resources are becoming increasingly important, as traditional textbooks often fail to

engage students. 76% of 32 surveyed students showed low enthusiasm for reading textbooks. The study uses

the ADDIE model, which includes seven steps. 1) identifying students’ needs, 2) designing the product, 3)

validating the design, 4) revising the prototype, 5) conducting trials, 6) refining the material, and 7)

implementing the product in classrooms. Trials with grade XI students showed that 40% strongly agreed, 59%

agreed, and 1% were neutral about incorporating multicultural themes. All the respondent finding the

materials more engaging than textbooks. Further trials with grade X students confirmed their preference for

the audio-visual materials and noting improved comprehension. These materials effectively combine sound

and visual to enhance learning enjoyment while emphasizing the peaceful and tolerant approaches of Islamic

figures, which facilitated the acceptance of Islam in Indonesia.

1 INTRODUCTION

History education is a critical component of shaping

students' understanding of cultural heritage, fostering

inclusivity, and promoting national identity (Epstein,

2010). In Indonesia, a nation renowned for its cultural

diversity, this task takes on particular significance.

History lessons have the potential to build a deeper

appreciation for Indonesia's multicultural fabric,

encouraging empathy, tolerance, and mutual respect

among students. However, traditional teaching

methods, particularly the reliance on printed

textbooks, often fall short of achieving these

objectives. Conventional history textbooks, while

comprehensive in their content, are typically

structured in ways that prioritize dense narratives and

factual information. These texts are often perceived

as monotonous and disengaging by students,

especially in an era dominated by digital technology.

In subjects like history, where the understanding of

complex narratives and cultural dynamics is crucial,

the lack of interactive or visually engaging elements

can hinder effective learning. Darwati (2011)

https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0835-6065

highlights that the delivery and relevance of teaching

materials significantly impact students' engagement

and comprehension. Students need materials that not

only present historical facts but also stimulate their

curiosity and imagination, bridging the gap between

past events and their relevance to contemporary

society.

The challenges of history education are

particularly evident at Public Islamic Senior High

School (MAN) 1 Bogor. At MAN 1 Bogor, where

most students come from a homogeneous cultural and

religious background, fostering multicultural

awareness is an educational imperative. This

environment, while conducive to fostering a strong

identity within a specific cultural framework, may

limit exposure to diverse perspectives. Without

deliberate efforts to integrate multicultural content

into the curriculum, students risk developing narrow

worldviews that lack the necessary appreciation for

Indonesia’s pluralistic society. Hasan (2010)

emphasizes that multicultural education is essential in

such settings to promote inclusivity and prevent the

emergence of exclusionary attitudes.

458

Marta, N. A., Abrar, and Santosa, F. H.

Innovative History Learning: Teaching Islam’s Spread in Indonesia with Audiovisual Media.

DOI: 10.5220/0013408700004654

In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Humanities Education, Law, and Social Science (ICHELS 2024), pages 458-463

ISBN: 978-989-758-752-8

To address these challenges, this research

introduces multicultural audiovisual learning

materials as an innovative solution. By moving away

from static, text-heavy teaching methods, this study

explores the use of engaging multimedia tools to

teach the history of the arrival and spread of Islam in

Indonesia. Audiovisual materials combine visual

storytelling, animations, and narratives, presenting

historical events in ways that resonate with students’

preferences and learning styles. These materials

emphasize Indonesia’s rich multicultural heritage by

highlighting the contributions of various ethnic

groups in the spread of Islam, thus fostering a broader

understanding of history as a shared, inclusive

narrative.

The conceptual foundation of this research lies in

the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development,

Implementation, Evaluation) model, a structured

framework for developing effective educational tools.

The ADDIE model ensures that the design and

implementation of these materials are systematically

aligned with the learning needs and preferences of

students. In the analysis phase, the study identifies

students' lack of enthusiasm for traditional textbooks

and their preference for multimedia resources. In

subsequent phases, the study develops audiovisual

content that integrates historical accuracy with

engaging visuals and multicultural themes. Finally,

the implementation and evaluation phases measure

the effectiveness of these materials in enhancing

student engagement and comprehension.

This research is particularly timely given the

increasing emphasis on digital education in

Indonesia. With rapid advancements in technology

and widespread access to multimedia devices,

students are more familiar with interactive and

visually driven content than ever before. Mayer’s

(2009) multimedia learning theory underscores the

importance of using multiple modalities to enhance

understanding and retention. By leveraging this

theory, the study aims to demonstrate that integrating

audiovisual tools into history education can not only

improve learning outcomes but also contribute to

broader social goals, such as fostering multicultural

awareness and social cohesion.

2 METHODOLOGY

This study utilized the ADDIE model (Analysis,

Design, Development, Implementation, and

Evaluation) as the primary framework for the design

and development of multicultural audiovisual

teaching materials. Widely recognized in

instructional design, the ADDIE model provides a

systematic and iterative process to create educational

resources that align with learner needs and curriculum

objectives (Adeoye et al., 2024; Mufarocha et al.,

2023).

Figure 1: Development of multicultural audiovisual

teaching materials.

Firstly, the analysis phase involved identifying the

needs and preferences of Grade XI students at MAN

1 Bogor through surveys and interviews. Data

collected focused on students’ engagement levels

with traditional teaching methods and their

receptiveness to multimedia-based learning. Based on

the survey that conducted in Grade XI, 76% of the 32

students surveyed reporting a lack of enthusiasm for

reading textbooks. While the sample size may appear

small, it was chosen intentionally to ensure focused

implementation and manageable data collection

within specific context of MAN 1 Bogor. This

allowed for detailed examination of the audio-visual

materials impact on engagement and comprehension.

Furthermore, the homogeneous characteristic of the

sample, such as students from the same grade and

school, ensured consistency in the results. However,

future studies should be conducted and expand the

sample size. Future studies should include students

from diverse educational and socio-economic

backgrounds to improve the generalizability of the

findings.

The first phase also involved feedback from

teachers. The feedbacks is needed to highlight gaps in

existing teaching resources, particularly in presenting

historical content in a culturally inclusive manner.

These insights informed the goals and scope of the

materials to ensure relevance and effectiveness.

Second, in the design phase, a blueprint for the

audiovisual materials was developed. This included

creating lesson plans, scripts, and storyboards.

Drawing from best practices in multimedia learning,

the design incorporated animated visuals, narrated

content, and interactive elements to enhance

Teaching

materials

Results of

needs

assesments

content

design

elements of

tolerance

and

multicultur

al values

layout

teaching

designs;

visual

materials,

sounds

Innovative History Learning: Teaching Islam’s Spread in Indonesia with Audiovisual Media

459

cognitive engagement and retention (Clark & Mayer,

2016). Multicultural themes were woven into the

narratives to foster inclusivity and awareness of

Indonesia's diverse cultural heritage. The blueprint

were collected and evaluated by the experts such as

content materials experts, design experts, audio-

visual experts, and cinematographer to ensure the

materials were accurate.

Third, the development phase translated the

design into tangible teaching materials. This process

involved producing animations, recording

voiceovers, and integrating interactive features such

as quizzes. This stage produces a product in the form

of multicultural-based audio-visual teaching

materials which are then saved on the drive at the

following link

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SPeodygrjF

WTNV54jENErJ252uIvRNNi. This link can be

accessed by the public. Iterative feedback sessions

were conducted, involving both teachers and

students, to ensure the materials were accurate,

culturally sensitive, and engaging. Consistent with

prior studies, this iterative approach ensured the

materials met high pedagogical standards (Najuah et

al., 2021).

Fourth, the implementation phase that involved a

stepwise rollout of the materials in classroom

settings. The materials were introduced in Grade XI

history classes at MAN 1 Bogor through structured

lessons that included a 15-minute multimedia

presentation followed by a 10-minute discussion.

Teachers facilitated these sessions, observing student

interactions and collecting immediate feedback to

refine the approach. This phased approach allowed

for adjustments to address practical challenges during

delivery (Mufarocha et al., 2023).

Finally, the evaluation phase that focused on

assessing the effectiveness of the materials.

Effectiveness was measured using a combination of

surveys and classroom observations. Likert-scale

questionnaire assessed student engagement and

content comprehension, while post-session quizzes

evaluated knowledge retention. Teachers noted

increased participation during discussions and

observed that students were more attentive compared

to lessons using traditional textbooks. This dual

approach ensured a comprehensive evaluation,

highlighting areas for future refinement (Adeoye et

al., 2024).

Furthermore, the structured application of the

ADDIE model not only facilitated the development of

effective audiovisual materials but also ensured that

these resources were adaptable to diverse educational

contexts. This study underscores the potential of the

ADDIE model in transforming history education by

integrating iterative feedback and rigorous testing in

each phase.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The study’s findings highlight the effectiveness of

using audiovisual materials in teaching the historical

topic "The Arrival and Spread of Islam: Exploring

Tolerance Values from the Wali Songo." The

implementation at MAN 1 Bogor involved 32

students from Grade XI, whose feedback was

collected through surveys. Table 1 summarizes the

key findings from the student responses:

These results demonstrate that the audiovisual

materials were overwhelmingly perceived as

effective in explaining multiculturalism (100% of

students agreed or strongly agreed) and clear in

presenting the theories of Islam’s arrival in Indonesia

(100% of students agreed or strongly agreed).

However, when assessing the materials’ relevance to

history studies, students’ responses were evenly

divided, with 50% strongly agreeing and 50%

agreeing. This indicates room for improvement in

tailoring the materials to align more closely with

students’ expectations for historical content.

Table 1: Student Feedback on Audiovisual Materials.

Feedback

category

Stron

gly

Agre

Neutr

Disa

gree

Stron

gly

Disa

gree

Effectiven

ess in

explaining

multicultu

ralism

40.6

(13

stude

nts)

59.4

(19

stude

nts)

0.0%

stude

nts)

0.0%

stude

nts)

0.0%

stude

nts)

Clarity of

explaining

theories

of Islam's

arrival

68.8

(22

stude

nts)

31.3

(10

stude

nts)

0.0%

stude

nts)

0.0%

stude

nts)

0.0%

stude

nts)

Relevance

to history

studies

50.0

(16

stude

nts)

50.0

(16

stude

nts)

0.0%

stude

nts)

0.0%

stude

nts)

0.0%

stude

nts)

ICHELS 2024 - The International Conference on Humanities Education, Law, and Social Science

460

Figure 2: Student Feedback on Audio visual Materials.

3.1 Multiculturalism and History

Learning

One of the primary objectives of the research was to

integrate multicultural content into the history

curriculum. Indonesia, being a diverse country with a

rich cultural heritage, necessitates that students

understand and appreciate this diversity. The

audiovisual materials were designed to align with

Indonesia’s national curriculum for history education,

focusing on the arrival and spread of Islam. They

incorporated key themes, such as tolerance and

multiculturalism, which are central to the curriculum

objectives. The supplementary content, highlighting

Indonesia’s diverse cultural heritage, provided

additional context that enriched the lessons.

However, aligning digital tools with standard history

education presented several challenges. Teachers

required additional training to integrate the

audiovisual materials seamlessly into their lesson

plans. Many educators were unfamiliar with using

digital tools, which initially slowed the adoption

process. Moreover, while the materials fit the content

standards, adjustments were necessary to

accommodate diverse student learning styles and

preferences.

Despite these challenges, the integration of

digital tools offered significant opportunities. The

interactive quizzes included in the audiovisual

materials enabled real-time assessment, helping

teachers gauge student understanding during lessons.

Additionally, the dynamic animations and examples

made abstract historical concepts more relatable,

fostering critical thinking and empathy. These

findings underscore the transformative potential of

digital tools in modernizing history education. The

findings align with Mayer’s (2009) multimedia

learning theory, which emphasizes the importance of

reducing cognitive load through dual-channel

engagement. The use of animations, voiceovers, and

contextual examples in the audiovisual materials

helped students process and retain complex

information effectively. The strong agreement on the

clarity of explaining theories of Islam’s arrival

underscores the value of visual aids in bridging

abstract historical concepts with concrete

understanding.

The results also support Clark and Mayer’s (2016)

assertion that multimedia tools can enhance learning

outcomes when they are carefully integrated into

structured curriculum frameworks. The visual and

auditory features of the materials provided an

immersive experience, fostering deeper engagement

and understanding among students.

3.2 Challenges and Limitations

Despite the promising results, the study revealed

several limitations that must be addressed to ensure

the scalability and equity of digital learning

initiatives. While this research was conducted in a

school with access to adequate internet connectivity

and multimedia equipment, many schools in rural and

disadvantaged areas lack such resources. This

disparity poses a significant challenge to the

widespread adoption of digital tools in Indonesian

education (Sukmayadi & Yahya, 2020).

Another challenge involved the capacity of

educators to adapt to digital teaching methods.

Although the participating school had trained

teachers, many educators in less privileged areas lack

access to professional development programs tailored

to technology integration. This issue highlights the

need for targeted interventions, such as government-

funded training workshops and resource-sharing

initiatives, to ensure equitable access to digital

learning opportunities. Decentralization policies,

while empowering local schools with autonomy, have

also exacerbated regional disparities in education

funding and teacher training. Wealthier districts can

allocate more resources to education, allowing for the

adoption of advanced tools, while underfunded

regions struggle to meet even the minimum

requirements (Karolina et al., 2023; Sukmayadi &

Yahya, 2020).

Another key limitation is the lack of specific

design considerations for students with disabilities.

While the audio-visual materials were effective in

engaging the majority of students, accessibility

features such as subtitles for hearing-impaired

students, audio descriptions for visually impaired

50%

100%

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3

Student Feedback on

Audiovisual Materials

Strongly Agree Agree

Innovative History Learning: Teaching Islam’s Spread in Indonesia with Audiovisual Media

461

students, or simplified text alternatives were not

integrated. Future iterations of these materials should

prioritize inclusivity by incorporating these features

to ensure that all students can benefit from this

innovative approach to history education.

On the other hand, the success of this study

demonstrates the transformative potential of digital

tools in history education. By simplifying complex

historical narratives and fostering student

engagement, audiovisual materials offer a viable

solution to modernizing traditional teaching methods.

Moreover, their adaptability ensures that they can be

integrated into diverse educational contexts, provided

the necessary infrastructure and training are in place.

4 CONCLUSIONS

The research demonstrates the transformative

potential of multicultural audio-visual teaching

materials in history education. This material has

potential in fostering engagement and a deeper

understanding of multicultural heritage of Indonesia.

By integrating culturally diverse narratives and

aligning with contemporary frameworks like

TPACK, this study provides a replicable model for

using multimedia tools in history learning. The

findings reveal that audio-visual materials

significantly enhance student’s learning experiences

by simplifying complex concepts, accommodating

diverse learning styles, and fostering empathy and

tolerance. These outcomes are especially relevant for

religious schools, such as MAN 1 Bogor, where

exposure to multicultural perspective is essential for

promoting inclusivity. Moreover, this study

highlights the importances of leveraging digital

technologies to modernize history education, making

it more relatable and impactful for 21

century

learners. By fostering an appreciation for Indonesia’s

diversity, these materials contribute not only to

academic development but also to broader social

harmony and intercultural understanding

Based on the findings, several several

recommendations can be made for future research and

practice. First, it is recommended that further

iterations of the audiovisual materials incorporate

more interactive elements, such as quizzes or

discussion prompts, to engage students actively

throughout the learning process. Interactive elements

can help reinforce learning by encouraging students

to think critically about the content and apply what

they have learned. Second, it is important to ensure

that the audiovisual materials are accessible to all

students, including those with disabilities. This may

involve adding features such as subtitles for hearing-

impaired students or providing alternative formats for

visually impaired students. Making the materials

accessible will help ensure that all students can

benefit from the innovative approach to history

learning. Finally, future research could explore the

long-term impact of using audiovisual materials on

students' learning outcomes and attitudes towards

history. Apart from that, it is recommended that

teachers in teaching history can integrate it into

multimedia, not just in text form. Meanwhile, the

government can encourage and facilitate teachers to

develop multimedia-based teaching materials in order

to facilitate the needs and profiles of students.

While the current research demonstrated

positive short-term effects, it would be valuable to

investigate whether these effects are sustained over

time and whether the use of audiovisual materials can

lead to improved academic performance and a greater

appreciation for multiculturalism in the long term.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research was funded by Universitas Negeri

Jakarta. Special thanks to the Faculty of Social

Sciences for their continuous support throughout this

research project, as well as to the teachers and

students of MAN 1 Bogor for their participation and

valuable feedback.

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