Integrating local folklore animation of Barong Putih into Civic Education to promote indigenous cultural conservation among primary school students

The interest of younger generations in folklore as intangible cultural heritage is declining, including among elementary school students. Although Civics Education addresses cultural conservation, its normative, text-heavy approach is often perceived as tedious and hard to understand. This study aims to integrate the Barong Putih local folklore into Civics Education through 2D learning media animation to foster indigenous cultural conservation and enhance learning experiences. The learning media was developed using an research and development design with the ADDIE model, then expert-validated for design, content, language, and pedagogy. The validated learning media was tested to 106 fifth-grade students from five elementary schools in Blora Regency, Indonesia. Validation results showed substantial to perfect agreement, indicating high feasibility. Across schools, post-test scores significantly exceeded pre-test scores (p < 0.001), yielding low-to-moderate n-gain (0.25–0.36) but strong effect sizes (Cohen’s d > 1.0). Cognitive gains were strongest in remembering, with weaker performance in understanding, applying, and higher-order processes. Students reported greater enjoyment of Civics Education, increased awareness of Barong Putih and local values, and stronger cultural pride. Overall, Barong Putih 2D animation effectively contextualized Civics Education, improved learning outcomes, and supported indigenous cultural conservation, especially when paired with teacher-facilitated reflection.