BRIDGING ROUTINE AND INNOVATION: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF DIGITAL TOOLS IN HABITUATION-BASED ENGLISH INSTRUCTION FOR EARLY LITERACY DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

In Indonesian primary schools, where English is taught through daily routines, the challenge for teachers is how to integrate digital tools meaningfully while safeguarding children’s well-being. This study investigates how one primary school English teacher incorporated digital media—including YouTube videos, interactive quizzes, and e-books—into habituation-based instruction for students in SDS Laboratorium Percontohan UPI Kampus Purwakarta. Using a narrative inquiry approach, data were collected through classroom observations, a semi-structured interview, and document analysis. Observations focused on how habituation activities were structured, the use of digital tools, and students’ responses, with field notes capturing real-time classroom moments. The interview explored the teacher’s rationale for using technology, her perceptions of its impact on students’ literacy, and the challenges she encountered. Supporting documents, including lesson plans, online quiz results, e-book examples, and classroom photos, were also analysed. All data were examined through narrative analysis to reconstruct the teacher’s experiences across pedagogical practices, temporal developments, and policy contexts. The findings reveal that digital tools enriched daily routines, increased student engagement, and encouraged literacy practices beyond the classroom, but also presented challenges related to content suitability, classroom management, and infrastructure. The study underscores the central role of teacher mediation in ensuring that digital resources are developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant. It concludes with implications for teacher professional development, parental collaboration, and policies that support the safe and effective integration of digital literacy in Indonesian primary schools.