‘I want to read this book again!’ decolonizing children’s literature to support indigenous children in reading and mathematics learning

ABSTRACT

Although children’s literature is often viewed as a means to achieve educational goals and to strengthen children’s identities, existing or ongoing literature projects devalue Indigenous identity – or, more tragically, systematically obliterate it – to the point that every narrative within postcolonial education systems is inherently harmful to children. This study was intended to decolonise children’s literature to increase children’s reading and mathematics learning. We designed and implemented a decolonised picture storybook as a complementary resource for the third graders with integrating Indigenous West Papuan culture. This collaborative work involved an Indigenous elder and teacher, a homeroom teacher, and an expert. The results of the study showed that students were immersed in the narratives of the books they were reading during reading time. Due to our emphasis on social justice-oriented approaches – familiarizing Indigenous students’ experience in this book, students began sharing analytical, intertextual, personal, transparent, and performative responses. They expressed their genuine excitement by saying, ‘I want to read this book again!’ When brain-crossing pathways took place, students gained a more thorough understanding of the mathematical concept (i.e. multiplication). It occurred as they visualized, drew, estimated, and synthesized the narrative symbols in order to make sense of what they read.

KEYWORDS:

• Children’s literature
• decolonizing
• indigenous students
• a picture storybook
• Reading
• mathematics learning

Introduction

‘Hey, look at this … I think I know them … “Yes, they are our brothers and sisters here,” said another girl’. ‘Hahaha [laughing] they’re swimming in the river … ’ (Fieldnotes, West Papua, 2015)

Approximately seven years had passed since the first author made this note when she completed her research in West Papua as part of her master’s thesis. At that moment, she could feel the excitement among the Indigenous West Papuan children as they read a picture storybook for the first time that told the story of their lives from Indigenous West Papuan perspectives. In the book, all the characters were portrayed by people they knew, and all the activities were what they would typically be engaged. For example, this picture storybook featured a young boy named Mekinus ( pseudonym) as one of its characters. The character of Wekinus was portrayed by a real West Papuan child from the same village, allowing the children to recognize themselves in the character Mekinus. As they turned the pages, they were able to relate to Mekinus’ daily life, such as helping his parents to plant local crops in their garden, gathering local vegetable, feeding livestock, cutting off woods and carrying them to his house, learning at a local school, sitting beside his sister who was making a noken, a traditonal bag, playing by the river, and playing pakwel, a traditional game. From that book, students captured their unique way of life and traditions.

This is just one example of many narratives that clearly demonstrate how Indigenous children are motivated to learn literacy when the content and stories are closely associated with their worldview and culture (Sianturi et al. 2018). Nonetheless, this aspect of literacy is often missing from Indigenous children’s learning within schools in postcolonial countries (Mendoza and Reese 2001, Reese 2008, 2018). A long history of Western/European colonialism has shaped childhoods and children’s lives worldwide (Sahn 2016). Unfortunately, this trend has also been adopted by the Indonesian state, which has dominated the literacy of the Papuan children in the past few decades (Sianturi et al. 2022a). As far as the stories in textbooks or other literacy sources are concerned, they are only imagined narratives about the lives of other Indonesian children – if there is, it is very rare, indicating that they are excluded from the world of literacy for children (Rifanto 2022, Sianturi et al. 2022a).

The Aim of the Study

This study aimed to create a decolonized picture storybook with an intention to reverse the ongoing effects of postcolonialism on children’s literature. Our intention was to foster Indigenous children’s voices in children’s literature. The decolonized picture storybook. It provides an integrated numeracy and literacy course for Indigenous children, which intergreate their Indigenous culture, place, lived experience and the use of bilingual. More specifically, this study aimed to investigate students’ response and understanding of mathematical concepts when they read this book. Specifically, we limited the concept of multiplication as content in the developed picture storybook. The research questions consist of:

1. How does a decolonized picture storybook support students in reading?

2. How does a decolonized picture storybook support students in understanding mathematical concept?

The Context of West Papuans’ Lives and Education

While the educational challenges faced by the West Papuan community might have several commonalities with those experienced by other Indigenous communities across Indonesia (cf. Kristiansen 2006), the West Papuan community also exhibit unique complexities that distinguish them, including ongoing conflicts, political tensions, instances of violence, government and military influences, a long history of oppression, deep-rooted prejudice and discrimination, and systemic inequality (Sianturi et al. 2022a). The multifaceted factors contributing to West Papua’s unique educational environment have profound implications for the region’s human development index (Sianturi et al. 2018, Azmah 2021) , consistently ranking at the lowest level among all regions in Indonesia (Simreg 2022). Therefore, this condition prompted a more comprehensive investigation into education in West Papua, leading us to delve into its complexities and intricacies.

Since West Papua was integrated into Indonesia in 1963 (Rollings 2010), it has had a significant impact on the cultural, social, political, and educational sectors (Sugandi 2008, Sianturi et al. 2022a). West Papuans endure multifaceted forms of socio-cultural-political oppression, including acculturation, assimilation, racial discrimination, stereotype and systhemic inequality because of the impacts of colonial policies and the influence of outside forces in contemporary regional politics (Upton 2009, Rollings 2010, Macleod 2011, Suyanto 2011).

Although most West Papuans encounter socio-cultural-political oppression, the weight of ongoing oppression that they encounter might not be the same on each location where they live in. Geographically, highland and central regions are characterized by their rural and isolated nature, while coastal regions are close to urban developments (Upton 2009). Transmigration programs, which often establish settlements near urban centers, contribute to the high proportion of migrants (other Indonesians) from outsite West Papua in these coastal regions (Upton 2009). Coastal areas (e.g. Jayapura, Keerom Merauke, Mimika) have over 60 per cent non-West Papuan population, while highland and central areas (e.g. Lanny Jaya, Intan Jaya) have less than 0.2per cent non-West Papuans (Badan Pusat Statistik Provinsi Papua 2013). Previously, West Papuans were the majority, and now they are marginalized in their land and live in remote areas, having limited access to influential positions (Kudiai 2015, Siadari 2017, Wardana 2017), while other Indonesians dominate important sectors, occupy significant roles in both the economy and the government and reside in urban areas (Kudiai 2015).

West Papua has experienced an Indigenous culture, identity, and language crisis. The tribe, culture and language of West Papua as a whole are incredibly diverse, with almost 300 ethnic groups and over 250 languages being spoken (Rollings 2010). In 2022, West Papua region was divided into five provinces, each with distinct Papuan ethnic groups: West Papuan Province (76 groups), Papua Province (122 groups), Highland Papua Province (31 groups), Central Papua Province (26 groups), and South Papua Province (39 groups) (Pemerintah Daerah Papua 2007, Ronsumbre 2020). However, due to assimilation and acculturation, pressing concerns have gradually emerged within the Indigenous community regarding this diversity and Indigenous dignity. Five languages are already extinct, and thirty are endangered (Mawel 2015). A gradual loss of native Papuan speakers, the mainstream’s negative attitude toward Indigenous languages, the national language policy, and contact with outsiders all contribute to language loss (Arka 2016, Rizqo 2018, Wisanggeni 2019). As Indonesian is compulsory in schools, workplaces, and public places, it has become the dominant language in daily life for West Papuans (Mawel 2015, Arka 2016, Rizqo 2018, Wisanggeni 2019).

Using Indonesian as an instructional language produces different effects for West Papuan children in both highlands and coastal areas. Children in coastal areas, for example, do not acquire Indigenous languages as a result of non-inclusion of their languages in school (Arka 2016). In addition, due to acculturation instead of using Indigenous language, the majority of Papuans in these areas have used a mixing language between Indonesian and Indigenous Papuan languages to communicate in daily life including within their families (Arka 2016). In contrast, many school-aged children in highland areas predominantly use the Indigenous language as their primary means of communication within their families, resulting in a relatively lower degree of language loss compared to children in coastal areas. However, they struggle to understand the lessons, because most of their teachers are non-West Papuans who use Indonesian in their teaching (Dirhantoro and Paramita 2014, Ramadhan 2014, Sianturi et al. 2018).

To instill the idea of Indonesian nationalism in the West Papuans, the Indonesian government creates programs to foster a collective identity for them as civilized and modern societies (Sugandi 2008). However, systematically, the programs are viewed as an attempt to assimilate Papuan generations of their Indigeneity as Papuans because the government fails to recognize their own and their culture’s values, labeling them as ‘primitive’ and ‘uncivilized’ (Sugandi 2008, Kudiai 2015). More sadly, Papuans are often stigmatized as inferior, worthless, backward, or poor (Sugandi 2008, Munro 2013, Dewi et al. 2018). In social interaction in West Papua, West Papuan children are often treated like second-class citizens (Glazebrook 2008) and insulted by being called stupid and dirty by their Indonesian peers (Hedman 2007, Sianturi et al. 2022b).

The socio-cultural-political oppression and systemic inequity that the West Papuan community face has indirectly influenced West Papuan children’s education success. ‘Poor report cards’ related to literacy and numeracy have always been attached to West Papua. The Center for Educational and Cultural Policy Research study examined the reading literacy activity index for 34 provinces and found that Papua Province ranked lowest with the index at 19.9 (deficient category)(Puslitjakdikbud 2019). Nationally, Papua has the highest illiteracy rate. To make matters worse, the percentage of illiterates for elementary and middle school students until 2021 is 21.11 (Badan Pusat Statistik 2013). West Papuan students perform poorly in mathematics at all levels of education, based on data gathered from multiple assessment sources (Badan Pusat Statistik 2013, Dirhantoro and Paramita 2014, Manibuy et al. 2014, Sianturi et al. 2018, Ministry of Education 2019). In teaching practices in the field, students from elementary, junior high, high school, and even higher education are often found who are not proficient in calistung (reading, writing, and calculating) (Muhsidin 2020, Prodjo 2020).

In spite of the fact that there is an insufficient number and quality of teachers (Mollet 2007, Werang et al. 2017), there are other factors identified as the cause of the problems above, one of which is related to the curriculum (Mollet 2007, Sianturi et al. 2018, Sianturi et al. 2022a). The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007, see articles 14 and 15 in particular) stipulates that Indigenous peoples are given the right to establish and maintain their educational systems, which also reflect their dignity, culture, and traditions appropriately. However, it is not permissible for West Papuans to determine the school curriculum. The Indonesian government mandates the 2013 National Curriculum used in all Indonesian regions (Rachmawati et al. 2014, Palobo et al. 2018). Although the Indonesian government claims that the curriculum is open to incorporating local elements and encourages teachers to do so, it is evident that teachers in West Papua are experiencing significant difficulties in implementing it in their paedagogical practices (Palobo et al. 2018). Several interrelated factors can be attributed to this, including the insufficient proficiency and competency of teachers (Kudiai 2015, Sianturi et al. 2018, Palobo et al. 2018), the lack of support from government and educational authorities (Palobo et al. 2018, Hamadi 2021), and a fundamental lack of understanding regarding the importance of cultural relevance and the long-term consequences of colonialism (Sianturi et al. 2022e). In reality, school curricula and textbooks, both in terms of language and content, are disconnected from West Papuans’ lives and cultures (Kudiai 2015, Haryanto et al. 2016, Sianturi et al. 2018). As a result, Papuan students have difficulty mastering literacy and mathematics (Haryanto et al. 2016, Sianturi et al. 2018).

What do we Consider?

Decolonizing Children’s Literature

In a passionately argued writing, McGillis (2008) referred to Indigenous children as the most colonized entities in the world and that children’s literature is itself deeply entwined with both colonial and postcolonial histories. Is this exaggerating? Since time immemorial, children’s literature indeed marginalizes children – they have no optional voice in it – and constructs them in order to serve its own interests, i.e. children (Sahn 2016). Although it is believed that literature is instrumental for a didactic purpose (Mendoza and Reese 2001) and strengthening identity, the existing or ongoing literature projects invisibilize their presence – or if not, inferiorize Indigeneity – to the point that scripts in the postcolonial educational structures are always detrimental to children (Sahn 2016, Khalifa et al. 2019, Sianturi et al. 2022a).

However, a decolonizing thinking has come to the fore since the discourse of postcolonialism has been released. This recent movement has contributed to critical thinking, enabling a discussion to recuperate and reassemble cultural and racial identities that have been suppressed and stereotyped by the Western/European empire with its hegemonic power and institutional strategies (Xie 2008, Moodie 2018). As opposed to the colonial lens, with this critical eye, the systemic abuse that occurred in child literacy has been dismantled (Reese 2018). More importantly, some scholars have reemphasized that the attention locus is not simply about children’s literature but rather the voices of countless numbers of Indigenous people who are never compensated for their lifelong suffering (Sahn 2016, Malnar 2021).

Scholars who concern with childhood literacy have persistently strived to reclaim the silenced voices of Indigenous children by making literature more antiracist and Indigenous-centered (Mendoza and Reese 2001, Reese 2008). The results of this documented hard work bear a glimmer of hope. Collaborative work models are gradually removing the deficit structures of colonial models and hierarchies of power. Some of these thoughts began to be translated into literature. Recently, some children’s books have presented Indigenous people or children as the main characters in the ancestral lands setting (see some examples, Murphy and Kennedy 2016, Goodes 2022, Goodes and Laing 2022).

In West Papua, the number of children’s books that cover stories from the lives of Indigenous West Papuan children is very rare (Rifanto 2022, Sianturi et al. 2022a). Rifanto (2022) regretted that children’s books with a Papuan context sometimes present inaccurate information about Papuan culture, due to the limited information about Papua.

Decolonised and Contextualised Picture Storybooks

Despite having overlapping aims, contextualized and decolonized picture books differ significantly in their approaches. While both contextualized and decolonized picture storybooks strive for cultural inclusivity and accurate representation, decolonized picture storybooks go beyond by actively challenging and dismantling colonial perspectives, power structures, and stereotypes (Mendoza and Reese 2001) and calling for reconciliation (Peterson and Robinson 2020). Decolonized picture storybooks often emphasize themes of self-determination, cultural pride, and social justice. Decolonized picture storybooks aim to empower Indigenous or marginalized communities and center the experiences, voices, and agency of these communities, while countering erasure and promoting cultural revitalization and preservation (Mendoza and Reese 2001, Sahn 2016, Peterson and Robinson 2020) and support Indigenous nation building and futurity (Reese 2008, Peterson and Robinson 2020). On the other hand, contextualized storybooks focus on providing an accurate and respectful portrayal of specific cultures within their contextual frameworks, promoting cultural understanding and appreciation (Gray 2022). Contextual approaches tie actions to link prior experiences to the relevant learning, connecting previous knowledge to present real-world situations and circumstances of children (Davtyan 2014, Gray 2022). Therefore, our decolonized picture storybook not only incorporated contextual representation but also actively dismantled stereotype that Indigenous children have experienced, fostered the preservation of Indigenous culture and language among young people,, while facilitating their access to dominant cultural knowledge.

Reader Response

When supporting children’s reading, it is necessary to understand that children’s response to a picture book is essential. As described by Sipe (2008), children’s responses to picture books are conceptually categorized as follows: (1) analytical, including children’s discussions of content, structure, nuances, layouts, and storylines; (2) intertextual, in which pictures are related to other texts and products through conversational turns; (3) personal, meaning that children relate their own experiences with or from the text through personal responses; (4) transparent, meaning that transparent responses occur when children situate themselves within the narrative in such a way that their lives and the story meld together; (5) performative, or audience-driven response, in which children are actively engaged, using the text to express themselves spontaneously. In a sense, it is not wrong to say that children, as affective readers, play an important role in making a meaning of text (Enriquez 2022).

To help children make sense of every narrative they read, we may consider what Phillips (2001, p. 126) asserted: ‘reading is political in two interrelated ways. The first revolves around how texts are read, the second around what texts are read.’ How texts are read in children’s world describes children’s ways of reading. It also emphasizes how children understand, make a connection to, and process information from the texts. According to reader-response theory, children make sense of texts based on their lived experiences, sociocultural identities, and abilities. These personal attributes affect how children interpret and make a connection between them and the characters in the book. In such a strong defense, Sipe (2008) argued that ‘How can stories affect us, move us, delight or sadden us; how can they cause us to reflect deeply on our own lives in thoughtful ways if we do not first have the groundwork of these seemingly trivial personal connections?’ (p. 153). As we focused on Indigenous children in this present study, Indigenous ways of knowing should be considered when facilitating them (see in the following section).

In addition to how texts are read, it is required to pay attention to what kind of text – a children’s book in this case – children like to read. The extent to which the materiality of such a literature work leads children to read and causes them to feel or react emotionally to it is essential (Enriquez 2022). It implies that the content of children’s books affects the children’s engagement. Children might not enjoy reading activities if the book is not fascinating for children or relevant to their lived experiences. In developing our book, hence, we critically consider the content and material used in the text. We adopted the concept of funds of knowledge (González et al. 2005, Esteban-Guitart and Moll 2014a; Esteban-Guitart and Moll 2014b). Funds of knowledge refer to educational assets that can be integrated into school practices to increase children’s learning, including households, local communities, and the environment (Jones et al. 2019, Moll 2019, Rodríguez-Arocho 2020). Story with relevant content to students’ sociocultural context and lived experience will enable them to understand, be engaged in, and make a connection with the stories presented.

Integrating Literature in Mathematics Learning: Maths as Storytelling

Indigenous students’ mathematical skills have the potential to improve if they are taught in relevant approaches (Matang and Owens 2014). After studying the issues in children’s mathematics learning for many years and incorporating discoveries from neuroscience, Boaler (2007) strongly believes that all children can attain the highest levels in mathematics if opportunities and resources are provided. Mathematics is better learned by Indigenous students when it is integrated with everyday cultural practices (Matang and Owens 2014, Sianturi et al. 2018). In contrast, due to discontinuities between cultural mathematics and school mathematics, Indigenous students find mathematics in schools challenging (Owens 2012b). The root cause is that teachers tend to teach mathematics through Western-European perspectives which differ from Indigenous perspectives (Hughes & More 1997). Indigenous perspectives in mathematics education prioritize cultural relevance by integrating local traditions, traditional knowledge, and language, whereas Western-European perspectives tend to emphasize standardized mathematical content over cultural context (Owens 2012a). Owens (2012a, p. 20) added that ‘mathematics develops within a cultural context’ and therefore the mathematical development of Indigenous cultures disticts from that accumulated through Indo-European cultures (Owens 2012a, p. 20). Likewise, Indigenous perspectives recognize mathematics from holistic views, while Western-European perspectives tend to focus on sequencial structures (Hughes & More 1997).

Moreover, there is a further discussion that the ways Indigenous students learn mathematics might be associated with Indigenous ways of knowing (Sianturi et al. 2022d). Owens (2012a, p. 23) stated that ‘Indigenous ways of referencing position generally link more closely to activities, relationships, and the environment and are embedded in language’. Indigenous people in Australia perceive that Aboriginal thinking is based on whole patterns (Department of Education 2021). A network of relationships connects everything in the world (Harris 1984). Students’ language and cultural backgrounds have a link to their mathematical learning experience at school (Matang and Owens 2014, Sianturi et al. 2018). An explanatory study conducted by Sianturi et al. (2022d), revealed that Indigenous Papuan students have prevalence as field-dependent leaners, which means that most Indigenous learners tend to organize information in a unified way, a preference for learning materials that include social content, and the ability to recall social information more effectively. This study also found that when a mathematical word problem was contextualized with students’ cultural context – using bilingual, students completed it easier than of a standardized form. Previous research has also discovered that storytelling as a means of teaching mathematics creates an inclusive learning environment that improves Indigenous children’s enthusiasm toward mathematics (Sianturi et al. 2018, Golafshani 2023). Maths as storytelling serve as a means of connecting individuals to mathematics through their cultural context (Stronger Smarter Institute 2020). All these discussions are connected to eight Indigenous ways of learning proposed by Yunkaporta (2009, see pp. 46–50 for details) in which four of them were further adopted in our study as they were similar with West Papuan ways of learning (see in the methodology section). They are: (1) Learning maps: illustrating processes explicitly; (2) Symbols and images: understanding concepts with metaphors, images, and symbols; (3) Land links: learning that is grounded in the local environment and land; (4) Story sharing: incorporating narrative into the learning process (pp. 46-50). This resonates with fascinating new findings from brain science that we learn math most powerfully when brain crossing going across brain pathways – drawing and visualizing, and using symbols together in math (Boaler 2022). We attempted to organize a learning environment for Indigenous children to draw, visualize, and use symbols simultaneously through narratives.

Methodology

Research Design and Participants

This study took place in a rural area, West Papua, focusing on one Indigenous West Papuan tribe, i.e. the Sejahtera tribe. We involved year three students (n = 37, in which 33 Papuans and 4 non-Papuans) from one school. They were from low to middle socioeconomic backgrounds. People in this region used a mixing language in daily conversation and Indonesian at school. Prior to conducting this project, the research team received ethical approval from the Human Research Ethics Committees of a local university, political leaders in the local community, and educational authorities. It was necessary for us to ask the children whether they would like to be involved in the project. For reasons of confidentiality, the name of the tribe has been changed.

This project was collaborative work involving an Indigenous elder, school personnel, and an expert. We adapted research and development method by Borg and Gall (1983) in developing a decolonized picture storybook. Originally, this method comprises ten steps. However, in this study, we only used six steps (Figure 1). Employing ten steps might cost a lot of funds and time and involve samples from a large scale. The literature describes that practicality, cost-effectiveness, and manageability often become consideration for early career researchers in conducting research (Vehovar et al. 2016, Asiamah et al. 2022). As early researchers, adapting this method supported us in estimating cost-effectiveness (since we received limited funds) while still being able to undertake a feasible study and report practices reasonably. Purposive sampling was employed in this study to recruit student participants.

Figure 1. Steps of research and development method adapted from Borg and Gall (1983).

Limitation. This particular Indigenous group of children was selected because of their low rate of reading and numeracy. Prior to starting the study, we discussed this with their homeroom teacher and conducted one observation in classroom activities. About 85 per cent of students could not do basic multiplication (2–10) because they could not understand the concept of multiplication. When they were given questions about multiplication (e.g. 5 × 3 = … ? 3 × 6  = … ? 5 × 4 = … ?), students scratched their heads and did not answer. In reading activities, it appeared that 50 per cent of students were less responsive – silent (not reading), disturbed and talked to their friends, and did other activities. This study was preliminary research and limited only to the development of picture storybook and its benefits for reading activities and understanding the concept of simple multiplication. This study did not measure the ‘improvement’ of reading skills (e.g. comprehension and accuracy) and multiplication skills before and after using the book. This would be examined in further research which would involve 3 schools from clustered areas.

Procedures and instruments

Steps 1-3: Research and Information Collecting, Planning, a Preliminary Form of Product

We collected all information used in developing the decolonized picture storybook through literature review, document analysis, interview, and observation. Literature related to decolonizing children’s literature and Indigenous Sejahtera culture was reviewed. Content analysis of the mathematics curriculum was conducted. We discussed challenging topics in mathematics subjects that students faced with a homeroom teacher of year three. Based on the information from content analysis and discussion with them, we decided to focus on multiplication.

Furthermore, when we were in the field, we observed the characteristics of the place and took some pictures. Making notes and analysing the voices behind each picture helped us understand the environmental and sociocultural context. An Indigenous Papuan elder who was also the Head of the Regional Culture and Tourism Office, and an Indigenous teacher were involved to discuss Indigenous Papuan culture, the ways of learning of Papuan children, and how to make the multiplication concept easier for Papuan children. They emphasized three key points, such as philosophies, pedagogical approaches, and cultural contexts. Here are the summaries:

1. Cultural relevance. West Papuan people emphasized the integration of cultural practices, language, and traditional knowledge into mathematical learning experiences.

2. Holistic perspectives of mathematics. West Papuan people recognized that mathematical concepts are interwoven with other aspects of life, including culture, spirituality, relationship, kindship, and the natural environment. The Papuan elder we interviewed, gave an example regarding introducing mathematical concept through coconut,

‘Let’s say, I have 5 stacks of coconuts, with each stack containing two coconuts. I would then instruct the children to distribute the coconuts among our extended family members and relatives, while also asking them to determine the total number of coconuts. Through this activity, I aim to teach them the concept of multiplication, as well as emphasize the significance of relationships and kindship.’

• (3) Oral tradition and storytelling. West Papuan embraced oral traditions and storytelling as a means of transmitting mathematical knowledge and concepts. Hence, narratives, traditional stories, and metaphors were used to convey mathematical ideas.

• (4) Collaborative and community-based Learning. West Papuan people taught their children mathematics in communal settings where the children involve in collective problem-solving, shared exploration, and dialogue. Hence, the local wisdom and knowledge of elders and community members and family members are highly valued in the learning process.

• (5) Land or place-based learning. West Papuan people acknowledge the connection between the natural environment and mathematics. In a sense, children explored mathematical concepts through activities and observations related to traditional practices, the local ecosystem, neighbourhood, and cultural activities.

In the planning stage, the results of the literature review and the data obtained through interviews, observation, and documentation were compared and examined for correctness and relevance, which were then compiled as raw data to develop a preliminary product form. We incorporated all the previously mentioned summaries of West Papuan learning philosophies and approaches into the development of a decolonized picture storybook. The research team designed a detailed outline of the book and samples of narratives. Eventually, a preliminary form of a decolonized picture storybook was produced.

Steps 4–5 Evaluating and Product Revision

An Indigenous teacher provided us with feedback on the preliminary form of a decolonized picture storybook. A children’s book reviewer was also requested to evaluate each chapter’s content and relevance between illustration, language, and coherence. An evaluation form, i.e. a product review template, was given to the reviewer as a guideline to measure the book draft. We incorporated all comments from the teacher and the book reviewer. This provided us with clarity on how to revise the book.

Steps 6–7 Operational Product, Implementation, and Dissemination

The revised book or operational product was then used in a classroom setting. Prior to reading the book, students were given an oral question about multiplication. Students first read the book. After finishing the first read, the teacher asked several students randomly what they had learned from the book. The teacher asked them to retell the story. Several students were appointed to retell the story in front of their classmates. The teacher and students then read together. Narratives that contained the concept of multiplication were discussed with students. Here, the teacher introduced the concept of multiplication to the students with dialogues. The same activity was conducted repeatedly in the next two days. After completing all activities, including reading the book, discussing the concept of multiplication, and completing the exercises, we evaluated the impact of books on children’s learning. Students were asked to answer three multiplication questions (Figure 2). Apart from that, oral questions were also given to students, e.g. 5 × 3 = … ? 3 × 6  = … ? 5 × 4 = … ? and what does it mean? We interviewed them two by two with open-ended questions about their perception of the book, what they liked the most and did not like, how they thought about the learning and its activities, how they thought about mathematics (probing the multiplication), and how they thought about reading. Students’ comments about the book were incorporated to revise the final book.

Figure 2. Multiplication questions given to students.

Data Analysis

Data gathered from the product review form were analysed quantitatively. The product review templated consisted of items with four scales: very appropriate (4), appropriate (3), not so appropriate (2), and not appropriate (1). The product can be used if the average of assessment outcome is equal to three or more. Data collected from observation (field and classroom), documentation, and interviews were analysed qualitatively. During classroom observation, Sipe's (2008) five-point conceptual categorization system was utilized to identify the students’ responses. The data analysis process involved several steps guided by the research questions. These steps encompassed repeated readings and note-taking, identification of emerging themes from the notes, and thorough examination of the themes and connections to arrive at a conclusive outcome. Constructive feedback and insightful suggestions on preliminary themes and results were provided by several educational researchers and an Indigenous West Papuan researcher with expertise in Indigenous language and literature.

Results and Discussion

Results

We improved the book based on the feedback received from students, teachers, and reviewer. Table 1 presents the elements of the book that was improved. Figure 3 describes an example of the improvement of the picture storybook. The product quality was in the very appropriate category. The students’ and teacher’s responses to the book were very positive. The final picture story book was published by a national publisher with ISBN.

Figure 3. An example of the improvement of the picture storybook.

Table 1. The improvement of the picture story book.

Element	Preliminary	Final
Colour and font	Dark (dark blue)	Light (e.g. yellow)
Preface	Only provide brief information about the book	Add information about the objectives, and alignment with the curriculum
The position of pictures	After narratives	Before narratives
Glossary (bilingual terms)	At the end of book	Footnotes
Questions for practices	Only in the main text	Add more at the end of the story

A Decolonised Picture Story Book

In the process of decolonizing children’s literature, we placed great value on the expertise and involvement of an Indigenous West Papuan elder and teacher. Their recommendations were incorporated into the development of our book. Our decolonized picture storybook prioritized contextual representation, dismantled stereotypes experienced by Indigenous children, and upheld the preservation of Indigenous culture and language. Additionally, it facilitated their access to prevailing cultural knowledge. Consequently, careful consideration was given to the selection of the book’s title, content, characters, chapters, and language, all of which were absent in the current book commonly used by Papuan students. In order to facilitate students’ understanding of the concept of multiplication, which is considered dominant cultural knowledge, we initially introduced the concept through the Papuan approach to learning.

1. Book title: Easy Math: It’s fascinating to learn multiplication in Wendu. This title represented a persuasion that math is effortless and fun, and students could enjoy learning while they were in their place (Wendu). Math, particularly multiplication topics, could be learned not only at school but also at home or in their place.

2. Content. This developed book was thematic-integrative – mathematics and literacy. We focused on describing Indigenous children’s characters and daily lives, and introducing multiplication concepts through narratives. We incorporated West Papuan ways of learning and philosophies, such as cultural relevance (using bilingual), holistic perspectives of mathematics which emphasising interconnected learning with children’s aspects of life (helping parents, learning, relationships, and gotong royong ¹), using storytelling, collaborative and community-based learning by inviting West Papuan elder and teacher in designing the content, using dialoge in classroom teaching, and integrating place-based learning in the story. It was a companion book to the main mathematics book for year three, which was split into three chapters. They were interrelated and continuous, taking place at home, school, and in students’ neighborhoods.

3. Characters. There are several characters portrayed in the book: (1) Indigenous West Papuan children, Anselma, Richard, Gabriel, Samael, Laurensia, Letisia, Gervarius, Rafael, Novita, dan Yulianus, Trisilia, Moses, Mikhael); (2) their non-Papuan homeroom teacher, Ibu Valen; (3) their Indigenous elders, Mama Yosepa and Bapa Yohanis; (4) others, children’s parents, other classmates. All Indigenous West Papuan characters used Indigenous West Papuan names and portrayed several Indigenous values and beliefs, e.g. giving, sharing, working together, encouraging and supporting each other, and respecting and obeying parents, teachers, and elders. Through the narratives, students might see themselves as diligent, caring, obedient, loving children and the beauty of being Indigenous West Papuan, and be proud of their identity. The portrayal of these characters also aimed to dismantle deeply ingrained stereotypes, prejudices, and instances of bullying directed towards Papuan children, often labeling them as ‘foolish and lazy.’ Although Ibu Valen is non-Papuan, her passion for teaching Indigenous children with culturally responsive teaching that created a safe learning environment and fun learning activities was a representative of teachers that Indigenous children needed.

4. Chapters: (1) Anselma is enthusiastic about going to school. This chapter talks about a boy whose name is Anselma. He was thrilled to study at school, particularly mathematics. His characters were obedient, diligent, and helpful. (2) Learning at Wendu Beach. Ibu Valen, the teacher in the book, brought students to learn at Wendu Beach. Wendu beach was a well-known location in Wendu area, which was also close to the student’s school. While they were on the way to the beach, they met Mama Yosepa, selling mangoes. They paused for a while, having conversations with Mama Yosepa. In their conversations, the teachers started introducing the concept of multiplication. As they continued their travel, they met Bapa Yohanis, climbing a coconut tree. There were also narratives about multiplication in this section. Students had dialogue with Bapa Yohanis. He had 7 stacks of coconuts, with each stack containing two coconuts. He would like to give these coconuts free to the students’ teachers. He then asked the students to help him bring the coconuts to school and give to their teachers. Then, the teacher used stacks of coconuts to teach the concept of multiplication, by asking them the total number of coconuts and how they determined that. Gervanus, a Papuan boy student, eagerly raised his hand and said, ‘Teacher, teacher, is the answer 14? I kept adding and adding, teacher, adding 2 for 7 times (2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2).’ This activity not only facilitated students the concept of multiplication, but also described how mathematical learning experiences are interwoven with Papuan aspects of lives such as relationships and giving.(3) Learning Multiplication at Home. This section tells how students apply the concept of multiplication in their daily lives.

5. Language. Bilingual – Indonesian and Indigenous West Papuan languages – was used in entire narratives of the book. We also adopted the children’s language style in this book, where this language style is somewhat different from the language style of Indonesian children in general. Every Indigenous term used was explained in footnotes.

Students’ Reading and Mathematics Learning

The implementation of the book influenced student’s enthusiasm and responses in Reading. All students were very enthusiastic about the picture story book. During observation, they all actively read the book. After finishing the first read, students expressed, ‘I want to read this book again!’ Some students commented that they could not be patient until the Reading class started. When the teacher entered the class with the book, students started rejoicing, saying, ‘Yeah, we’re going to read again’. While Reading the book, they were pleased and laughed as they noticed several names of their classmates, their daily stories, activities, and language found in the narratives. This expression appeared as they never read such a book previously. We utilized Sipe's (2008) five-point conceptual categorization system to identify students’ responses.

Analytical. When the copies of the book were first distributed, the first response caught was that the children were seen discussing the pictures and stories in the book. After a few minutes of reading, the children whispered to their friends next to them, while pointing at the pictures in the book. We could hear some children commented, ‘That’s an excellent book. I like the story.’

Intertextual. As the stories included illustrations and each chapter connected to each other, students made intertextual relationships. Some students nodded as they turned the page toward the next chapter. Some students went back to the previous page – trying to find stories and pictures they might have missed or just making confirmations – while connecting with the story in the previous chapter.

Personal. During the reading time, some students laughed because their classmates’ names were in the stories. Children also laughed when they read eho wiwi (ripe mango) and hug (young coconut). They eloquently expressed that they are the same as what was told, i.e. they eat eho wiwi and hug.

Transparent. Evidently, students positioned themselves within the story in a way that sublimated their lives, bound them to the narrative, and evoked their own emotions. While clapping and glancing at the friend next to him, a male student laughed when he saw his name in the book. In chapter two, stories described learning activities. There was a script in the chapter, ‘Children, please listen to me. You all count the number of hug that you want to give to your teachers,’ said the teacher. Some children spontaneously counted them; it seemed that the teacher’s question in the story was for them too.

Performative. When storytelling time, the students retold the story, and the teacher had dialogues with them; students actively participated in giving their responses. One girl confidently retold the story in front of her classmate.

We observed that the book positively supported students in reading. Before, 50 per cent students were less responsive in reading, but in reading class with the decolonized picture story book, all students actively participated. Based on students’ narrative, it showed that all students felt satisfied with the book.

Moreover, students understood multiplication quickly. Prior to reading the book, students were asked some multiplication questions. Most of them (85 per cent) could not answer the questions correctly. However, after reading activities students effortlessly understood the concept of multiplication and could answer simple multiplication questions correctly. We provided three questions (two of them were word problems) regarding multiplication to identify whether students understood the multiplication concepts. After reading the book, students completed the problems. Afterwards, students were also asked to answer oral questions (writing answers on blackboard, Figure 4).

Figure 4. Students’ answers of multiplication questions.

The form of the problems was different from the form presented in the main mathematics textbook (Figure 5). In the main textbook, questions usually served as standard form exercises, while in the picture storybook, questions served as word problems with narratives integrating students’ lived stories and culture. This modified form helped students understand the problems, as they connected the problem with their real life. All students answer the three questions correctly.

Figure 5. The Difference between the main book and the picture storybook in terms of exercise.

Discussion

Decolonizing children’s literature still has a long way to go. Over the past several decades, children’s literature has been fully contained by the narratives of mainstream children (Sahn 2016, Khalifa et al. 2019, Malnar 2021), and hence, children’s books require diversification. However, calling for more diversity and inclusion in children’s literature is not effortless; it attracts challenges. After completing this project, we reflected that although challenges were faced during the book’s development, we identified open-up safe spaces to promote a decolonised picture storybook in Indonesian education landscape, especially since such a project was not recognized in the Papuan context.

The decolonized picture storybook project was not simply to create a picture storybook to promote inclusion and diversity in children’s literature but also to strengthen Indigenous identity, dismantle colonial perspectives and stereotypes and preserve Indigenous language and culture. In our study, the children’s book was developed involving Indigenous knowledge keepers and experts to ensure that every script was relevant to Indigenous children. To effectively enhance outcomes for Indigenous peoples through research, it is crucial to adopt a decolonizing approach that prioritizes the voices of Indigenous elders and communities as the primary sources of information (Rix et al. 2019). The setting was situated in places that were familiar to students. Making Indigenous children as main characters in the children’s book was instrumental in fostering Indigenous students’ identity. Furthermore, the depiction of West Papuan children in the book as diligent, compassionate, obedient, and affectionate learners challenges deeply rooted stereotypes, prejudices, and instances of bullying aimed at them, which frequently label them as ‘stupid and lazy’ (Hedman 2007, Sianturi et al. 2022b). In this present study, although a few students were non-Papuan, not one of them expressed a complaint about the content of the book. Rather, they enjoyed reading it. Non-Papuan students became aware of their Indigenous Papuan peers’ presence, and they celebrated their Indigeneity and forged relational connectedness to the Land.

Whether through Indigenous literature (written by Indigenous authors) or Indigenist literature (written by non-Indigenous authors), decolonizing children’s literature focus on Indigenous cultures and experiences, representation and empowerment, cultural preservation and revitalization, and social justice (Tavares and Orlando 2023). Moreover, decolonizing children’s literature is entryway to promote a Indigenizing paedagogy, showing that ‘Indigenous children have a right to an education’ (Peterson and Robinson 2020, p. 1) to provide diverse learning experience for children and improve their reading. According to Fellner (2018), incorporating Indigenizing pedagogy may not be achievable without embracing decoloniality as an integral aspect. Decolonizing literature holds the potential to foster cultural awareness by promoting acceptance, understanding, and learning of Indigenous culture, heritage, and dignity for teachers (Peterson and Robinson 2020), readers (McNamara 2014), and even other Indigenous community worldwide through Indigenous literature (Nelson 2014). In our study, the decolonized picture story book generated a new nuance in the history of Papuan children’s literature in the plurality of Indonesia. Just as experienced by many Indigenous children worldwide (McGillis 2008, Xie 2008), countless hours of reading for missing Papuan children – throughout the history of the integration of Papua into the Indonesian political system (Sianturi et al. 2022a) – have resulted in several children of primary age and adolescents being illiterate (Badan Pusat Statistik 2022). Through this book, their voices were heard, an action to visibilize their existence and restore the rights of those who had been stripped away. In addition to enhancing the relevance of education for Indigenous children, Peterson and Robinson (2020) contend that the inclusion of Indigenous children’s literature in pedagogical practices serves as a valuable mechanism to advance Indigenous community rights to revitalization, foster reconciliation, and preserve Indigenous culture, language, and heritage.

Children’s books should be inclusive, and therefore children's responses are precious. There is a lot of value in children’s responses in classrooms. However, these children’s responses are often dismissed as unimportant. Sipe (2008) demonstrated an excellent argument for this importance by proposing that children’s seemingly trivial connections can provide the basis for discussions. As we prioritized social justice-oriented approaches in this project, students started sharing their analytical, intertextual, personal, transparent, and performative responses. We noticed their high enthusiasm toward reading as they, with a happy smile, said, ‘I want to read this book again!’

The findings of the study uncovered that a decolonized picture storybook incorporating contextual representation actively supported the preservation of Indigenous cultur and language among children, while also providing them with access to dominant cultural knowledge. Students were responsive in reading activities because the book represented the students’ stories and culture and used their language. Previous studies discovered that a culturally responsive pedagogy in reading activities improved Indigenous students’ educational outcomes (Hare 2011). Instructional language in children’s literature was critical in children’s literature. Bilingual is worth considering for Indigenous children’s books, especially for children who are frequent Indigenous language speakers. Justice et al. (2020) reported that Indigenous children attained the highest levels of reading skills after engaging in a multi-pronged bilingual children’s literacy program. A study conducted by Sianturi et al. (2018) involving Papuan children also revealed that using bilingual as an instructional language and narratives facilitate children to increase their mathematics learning achievement and reading. Some teachers use stories to teach math to Indigenous students and find it helpful (Salleh 2016). Knowing this benefit, Papua New Guinea schools also implement this idea through cultural mathematics syllabus (Department of Education 2003). Therefore, teachers might consider maths as storytelling in their teaching (Stronger Smarter Institute 2020, Golafshani 2023).

Likewise, the findings revealed that classroom practices promoting equity in mathematics through Indigenous ways of knowing provided them with access to dominant cultural knowledge – constructing mathematical concepts. Students’ understanding about the concept of multiplication increased when the brain crossing was taking place. It was when the students made a meaning of what they read, visualizing, drawing, estimating, and using all symbols together from the narratives. These circumstances would occur once the classroom activities were redesigned and grounded in the Indigenous epistemologies. For example, in this study, before the teacher introduced multiplication concept as a dominant cultural knowledge, the learning started with narratives in the book that describing dialogue with Indigenous elders and emphasizing the importance of giving and relationships. This activity illustrated holistic perspectives of mathematics and oral tradition, which are key points of Indigenous paedaogical approaches and philosophies. Considering Indigenous students’ prevalence of approaching new things (Sianturi et al. 2022c; 2022d) and ways of knowing (Yunkaporta 2009) will facilitate teachers to make mathematical concepts more effortless for Indigenous children to understand.

Despite its strengths, certain limitations should be acknowledged. Since we only involved one West Papuan tribe in our study, and because of the small sample size, it would not be possible for us to make general conclusive statements that would apply to all Indigenous peoples of West Papua. The decolonized picture book itself was developed according to the specific characteristics of children in one particular ancestral land and rooted in specific cultural attributes of one tribe, and hence this book might prove helpful for children from clustered areas and not for those from different regencies. It would be beneficial for the body of knowledge in the field of children’s literature to include a study that takes into account these limitations in the future. As mentioned earlier, we would conduct further research as a continuation of this study.

This article draws out some implications for teaching practices and educational policy. It is imperative that teachers participate actively in the decolonization process within their paedagogical practices, going beyond superficial integration of students’ culture and lived experiences to facilitate literacy and mathematics learning. This study offers an excellent opportunity for teachers to critically examine their practice, providing them with an insight into question and transform their instructional approaches rather than rely solely on appropriate materials. Teachers can play an active role in dismantling colonial structures and fostering a more inclusive and empowering learning environment by embracing a more critical and transformative mindset. Furthermore, policy planners might evaluate existing children’s textbooks, whether exclusive or not, and consider redesigning children’s books that incorporate Indigenous children’s cultural interface, personal stories, and involving Indigenous knowledge keepers and experts in that process.

Conclusion

The argument for shifting children's literature into more inclusive and diverse entails the dismantling of imperialism and the restructuring of the entire system that needs to be applied into an educational standpoint (Phillips 2001). It is problematic because our society seems to be not ready. To this date, educational institutions are still controlled by leadership structures that disregard the experiences of Indigenous children, purposefully alienating them from representation in children’s books and further marginalizing their voices (Sahn 2016). This present study is an effort to decolonize children’s literature, putting children’s voices in their reading world into reality. A decolonized picture storybook supports students in reading and understanding mathematical concept. What appeared from reading time in the classroom is that all children are submerged in the narratives of the book they read. Children are excited and express their genuine emotion by saying, ‘I want to read this book again.’ Grasping mathematical concepts through storylines is much more effortless. We cannot imagine how children’s reading skills and mathematics learning will improve if schools are full of such a book or similar to this book.

Informed consent

The research team gained informed consent from all participants prior to conducting study.

Ethical approval

The research team received ethical approval from the Human Research Ethics Committees of a local university, political leaders in the local community, and educational authorities.

Authors’ Contributions

The first author contributed to all phases of this study as corresponding author, including designing the study, collecting and analysing data, and drafting the manuscript. The second author served as a research team member, developing the study plan and instrument, collecting data, and verifying the analysis of the data.

Acknowledgment

We are grateful for all participants who contributed their time and energy to this study. Furthermore, we acknowledge Indigenous West Papuan elder, school personnel, illustrator, and expert who supported us during the course of the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data Availability Statement

Data management and coding information will be provided by the authors upon request.

Additional information

Funding

This project was generously funded by Universitas Musamus, Merauke, West Papua, Indonesia.

Notes on contributors

Murni Sianturi

Murni Sianturi is an Indigenous researcher who has worked with Indigenous communities for several years. Her research focuses on issues affecting Indigenous West Papuan students, especially in the learning of mathematics, literacy, identity and culture. Based on her experience in teaching mathematics at all school levels and a local university, her work is focused on schooling practices and Indigenous students' identities that influence their learning experiences, outcomes, cultures and identities.

Andreas Au Hurit

Andreas Au Hurit is a lecturer in the department of primary school teacher education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Musamus University, Merauke. His research focuses on developing the pedagogical abilities of primary school teachers to improve the quality of learning in primary schools.

Notes

1 Gotong royong is a well-known term that refers to traditional communal work for the Indigenous community. It can be undertaken in schools when students work together to clean their classroom or schoolyard.