The effectiveness of animated stories on elementary school students’ moral reasoning: A mixed methods study

Abstract

The development of moral reasoning among elementary school children in the digital era faces increasing challenges due to limited family literacy, weak classroom discussion culture, and socioeconomic disparities. These contextual barriers often lead students to interpret moral values as mere compliance with external rules rather than as principles requiring critical reflection. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of animation-based moral learning while highlighting the role of sociocultural and literacy ecosystems in shaping children’s moral internalization. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, the study involved 80 fifth-grade students (N = 80) from two public elementary schools in Cirebon Regency—SDN 1 Losari Lor and SDN 1 Mundu Mesigit—selected through purposive sampling. The research procedures included pretests, an intervention using five animated moral-dilemma stories, posttests, classroom observations, and interviews with students, teachers, and parents. Quantitative analyses employing paired-sample t tests, chi-square tests, and ordinal logistic regression indicated that animation significantly improved students’ moral reasoning scores in SDN 1 Mundu Mesigit, while the results in SDN 1 Losari Lor remained statistically insignificant. Qualitative thematic analysis identified three key mediating factors: family literacy practices, classroom discussion culture, and socioeconomic support. The integration of quantitative and qualitative findings demonstrates that animated stories function primarily as cognitive–affective triggers rather than independent determinants of moral development. Their effectiveness is strongly conditioned by the surrounding literacy ecosystem and sociocultural context. This study contributes a contextualized framework that positions animation within a broader ecological system of moral learning, offering important implications for designing culturally responsive and equity-oriented moral education in elementary schools.