Pance Mariati, Suharmono Kasiyun, Syamsul Ghufron, Nafiah, Setyo Yanuartuti
The transformation of 21st-century education requires primary school teachers to possess competencies that extend beyond linguistic proficiency to include digital literacy, aesthetic awareness, and creative pedagogical skills. Digital storytelling has emerged as a promising approach to integrating these competencies through multimodal learning experiences. However, limited research has examined how the combination of digital aesthetics and storytelling can strengthen language learning within primary teacher education programs. This study aims to develop and analyze an innovative language learning model that integrates digital aesthetics and storytelling in the context of primary teacher education in Indonesia. Using a Design-Based Research (DBR) approach, the study was conducted in three iterative cycles: (1) needs analysis and initial model design, (2) implementation of aesthetic-based digital storytelling in a language learning course, and (3) evaluation and refinement of the model. Participants consisted of 32 pre-service teachers enrolled in a Primary School Teacher Education program at a private university in Surabaya. Data were collected through classroom observations, reflective journals, and in-depth interviews, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that the integration of storytelling and digital aesthetics enhanced students' linguistic awareness, digital literacy, and aesthetic competence. Participants demonstrated improved ability to combine narrative, visuals, sound, and design elements in a cohesive manner. Additionally, the approach fostered creativity, empathy, and pedagogical confidence in designing engaging and meaningful language learning activities. The study concludes that integrating digital aesthetics and storytelling enriches language learning experiences and supports the development of creative, reflective, and technologically adaptive future primary teachers. Copyright (c) 2026 The Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Surabaya, Indonesia; Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia
