Culturally sustaining digital pedagogy in primary English education: Integrating local wisdom, technology, and student engagement

Abstract

The increasing integration of digital technologies into English language education has created new possibilities for enriching the learning process while also raising concerns about the cultural relevance of digitally mediated instruction. The present study examines the effectiveness of culturally sustaining digital teaching in primary English education. A mixed-methods research design was employed, involving 60 primary school students and eight English language teachers. Quantitative data were obtained through a student engagement questionnaire administered both before and after the intervention. Meanwhile, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the eight teachers, classroom observations, and student reflections. The quantitative findings indicated a notable increase in students’ overall engagement, with the mean score rising from 3.22 pre-intervention to 4.20 post-intervention. Improvements were observed across behavioral, emotional, and cognitive dimensions of engagement. The overall change was statistically significant, t (59) = 14.27, p < 0.001, and was accompanied by a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.84). The qualitative findings further demonstrated that learning materials grounded in students’ existing cultural knowledge and experiences contributed to greater enjoyment and participation while also strengthening their confidence, collaborative behavior, and willingness to communicate in English. The findings indicate that integrating culturally relevant content with digital technologies can contribute substantially to student engagement in primary English education. The study therefore underscores the importance of balancing technological development with cultural relevance when designing digitally mediated English language instruction for elementary learners.