EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SMARTJAWI APP IN FOSTERING LITERACY SKILLS AMONG PRESCHOOL CHILDREN: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY
Abstract
Considerable academic literature exists today that describes children’s limitations, including difficulties learning their native language and difficulties with literacy. This situation is no different from that of children in the archipelago in their attempts to strengthen their knowledge of Jawi script in both writing and reading. This research is the first to apply the Design and Development Research (DDR) approach to evaluate the effectiveness of the SmartJawi App in improving preschool children’s literacy. This study primarily focuses on Phases 2 and 3. For Phase 1, which required analysis, the results were thoroughly documented in a literature review. For Phase 2, the SmartJawi App was designed and received validation from three experts in the field, who provided the application with an Item-Level Content Validity Index (I-CVI) score of 1.0, an unqualified endorsement of the design and functionality of the application. For Phase 3, a quasi-experimental study was performed involving two educators and 18 children from two different preschools. Participants were divided into two groups, namely the control group (n = 9) and the experimental group (n = 9). The t-test results exhibited that using the SmartJawi App led to a significant improvement in reading (t(8) = -11.96, p = 0.001) and writing (t(8) = -9.46, p = 0.001) skills among participants in the experimental group. A Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA), with pre-test scores as the covariates, then revealed a statistically significant multivariate effect on combined dependent variables (F(2,15) = 102.34, p < .001; Pillai, Trace = .923, Partial eta = .931). The results support the hypothesis that the SmartJawi App has a significant positive effect on children’s literacy achievement compared to the control group. Thus, the Ministry of Education worldwide is encouraged to include digital learning in teaching preschool children to improve language, literacy, and digital education in the country, considering it part of 21st-century learning.