Multiliteracy Approaches to Teaching Social Empathy and Justice through A.A. Navis’s Literary Works in Elementary Education

Abstract

This study explores how multiliteracy pedagogy using A.A. Navis’s literary works fosters social empathy, promotes gender equality, and enhances moral awareness among elementary students in Bandung, Indonesia. Objective: To examine the role of local literature
in enhancing students’ emotional and social literacy through empirical classroom-based learning. Method: A qualitative descriptive design was applied, including classroom observations, student reflection journals, and teacher interviews involving 34 fifth-grade
students and 2 teachers. Findings: The results indicate that multiliteracy-based learning improved students’ emotional expression, cooperation, and moral reasoning. Students related characters such as “Mother” and “Sutan Duano” to acts of empathy and fairness, while teachers observed increased collaboration and reduced classroom conflict. Conclusion: Integrating multiliteracy pedagogy with Indonesian local literature serves as an effective model to cultivate empathy, inclusivity, and character-based education aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4 and 5.