Nationalism in Education: Redesigning the Effectiveness of Thematic E-Books in Virtual Learning to Grow Student Nationalism in Indonesia

Abstract

Concerns about nationalism among students have been raised in the Indonesian curriculum. On the contrary, Covid-19 brings a lot of challenges to educational institutions to reform nationalism at school. As a result, the thematic nationalism curriculum, which is dependent on in-person classes, should be adapted to virtual learning processes. This study attempted to examine the effectiveness of e-books in promoting nationalist values during virtual learning. It employed a quasi-experimental design. All subjects were split into two groups: experimental and control. The Study revealed that e-book usage promotes a higher result in students understanding of nationalist values. Besides, the e-book also assists students to improve their understanding through engaging and accessible reading. Furthermore, virtual learning by e-books or hardcopy books, cannot promote respect for cultural diversity since it needs more practice and learning process. On the other hand, e-book usage follows the need to reform online learning methods during the pandemic Furthermore, the e-book helps students improve their comprehension through engaging and accessible reading.