COMIC AS EDUCATIVE LITERATURE MEDIA ABOUT BATIK FOR STUDENTS OF SDN SUKOREJO 03

Along with the rapid development of the times, dressing trends have also undergone many changes from time to time. Therefore, the culture of wearing batik has also begun to fade over time. Today, the younger generation only knowing batik without knowing it’s meaning and the process how to make batik. One of them is the students at SDN Sukorejo 03 where I was assigned in the campus teaching program. Because when they were asked if they knew batik, of course they knew because batik was one of the uniforms they wore on Thursdays, but when asked if they knew the meaning and how batik was made many did not know, and they were not interested in finding out.

Because there are still many students who do not know more about batik, therefore we need educational media literacy about batik that contains more interesting visual elements because the target readers are children and students at SDN Sukorejo 03, namely grade 1 to grade 6.  After conducting a small research in the form of a short interview about students’ interest in reading, most students answered that they prefer to read books with visual elements compared to literacy books that are full of writing. So that’s where the initial idea of making comics about batik for students of SDN Sukorejo 03 came from. The comic is expected to be an educational media so that it can increase the knowledge of students, especially about batik.

Picture 1. Comic-Based Media Learning

Through batik learning media, students are introduced to the meaning and methods of making batik that is packaged with simple visuals and interpretation. In groups, students are guided to be able to read and ask questions when they don’t understand. Students are given time to read for a while and then invited to ask questions until they are asked to explain what they have read from the comic. After reading, it turns out that students can fluently explain the meaning and steps of making batik simply. In addition, students also look more enthusiastic and excited with the learning media in the form of batik comics.
However, there are slight differences in the way instructions are explained and the duration of reading between grades 1 and 6. In the lower grades, grades 1 to 3, students are given more time to read and ask questions and the explanations are tailored to the students’ level of understanding in a simpler way. As for students with upper grade levels, namely grades 4 to 6, they are given a slightly shorter time than lower grades, then students are given more time to understand and tell stories. This aims to improve students’ communication skills in explaining their understanding in public.