The Challenges of Literacy Culture in the Digital Era: The Role of Fairy Tales through the Country in Improving Literacy and Numerical Literacy

This study aims to uncover (1) the challenges to foster literacy culture in the digital era, (2) the value of literacy conveyed through fairy tales, (3) the role of fairy tales for literacy and numeracy, and (4) the outcomes observed in literacy and numeracy development through fairy tales. The research used the qualitative approach with the case study method. Interviews, observations, and documentation were employed as data collection techniques. The collected data were analyzed through data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The research results show that ( 1 ) the challenges of literacy culture in the digital era starts with finding and evaluating; (2) the literacy value conveyed through fairy tales includes literacy values encompassing listening, speaking, reading, and writing, while the value of numeracy includes skills in symbols and number, information analysis, and problem solving; (3) the role of fairy tales is as a medium to capture student’s attention. Fairy tales provide entertainment and moral teachings, which are engaging young learners since most children today prefer to see images rather than text. Therefore, the role of fairy tales is considered as a tool to enhance literacy among children.


INTRODUCTION
In the development of the digital era, literacy has an important role in its development.Presently, advances in technology for communication and information are advised to draw the community's focus away from conventional educational activities, particularly book reading by students (Oktradiksa et al., 2023).Literacy is an ability related to the use of skills and competencies to manage and understand information (Ginting, 2020).Correspondingly, (Hasyim & Makruf, 2022) explain that a person with low literacy skills will find it difficult to manage the information they encounter.Literacy is an ability to have an important role for a person in everyday life (Bu'ulolo, 2021).Thus, literacy is the ability that a person must have to manage new knowledge and information.
The Ministry of Education and Culture stated that literacy activities in Indonesia are in the low category (Nawazir & Sesmiarni, 2022).In reality, literacy activities are activities that must be carried out in the digital era (Meliyawati et al., 2020).In line with that, Ridha & Riwanda (2020) explained that in the digital era, literacy is one of the things that should be developed as an effort to increase understanding of problems and information in everyday life.Thus, in everyday life in the digital era, literacy still has an important role.
Literacy activities can be carried out to solve a problem, analyze something, understand information, and other cognitive tasks (Sentoso et al., 2021).Literacy in the digital era can be adjusted to the development of communication and information technology to help community activities (Fitriarti, 2019).Similarly, Almah (2019) states that individuals, especially those in the workforce, must be able to manage their time for smooth operation, necessitating the skill to process information.Based on some of the opinions above, literacy has an urgency that has benefits for a person in carrying out daily life.
There are several kinds of literacy consisting of six basic competencies in the form of literacy, numeracy, digital, science, finance, and culture and citizenship (Harahap et al., 2022).Literacy is the ability to read, write, search, and understand information (Maryono et al., 2021).Similarly, Perdana & Suswandari (2021) explained that numeracy literacy is the ability to reason.Based on some of the opinions above, it can be concluded that basic literacy competencies are very useful for provisions in adding information.
Reading and writing skills are every individual's right which necessitate the provision of educational facilities (Mutji & Suoth, 2021).Furthermore, number is also indespensable in everyday life, necessitating the development of numeracy literacy from an early age to achieve higher education (Wahyuni, 2022).In line with that, Ekowati et al. (2019) explained that people's reasoning skill enables them to analyze and understand information.Indeed, literacy and numeracy cannot be separated, and they play a vital role in education.
An instance of literacy activities for elementary school children can be done by using fairy tales.A fairy tale is a device used to capture learners' reading interest.Folktales, a type of fairy tales, are culture expressions (Candrika, 2019) Through learning tools, it has an important role in order to help the level of understanding of Husniyah students (2022).In line with that, Mayar et al. (2022) states that fairy tales are one of the fun activities for students.Based on some of the opinions above, fairy tales can engage individuals to read and write with a sense of fun in the process.
The ongoing development reveals that the low literacy culture might be influenced by internal and external factors.Internal factors include a lack of time to read, a preference for cellphones over books, and a lack of awareness about the importance of literacy.Meanwhile, external factors that hinder literacy culture include inadequate book facilities, relatively expensive book prices, a lack of parental assistance and guidance, and an unsupportive surrounding environment to develop literacy culture (Aspar, 2020).Therefore, a strategy to foster interests in reading and writing is through fairy tales.This is due to the impact fairy tales have on children, i.e. fairy tales can engage and captivate children (Dahlan et al., 2022) Correspondingly, Hadiansyah (2021) said that fairy tales can build children's imagination and creativity.The meaningful words obtained from fairy tales can encourage children to develop reading and writing skills.
Fairy tale activities are carried out to hone children's ingenuity, so that they can train and build imagination to develop their creativity (Fitriarti, 2019).Irawanto et al. (2022) state that we can use fairy tale quizzes to help pupils practice counting.In addition, fairy tales can train the child's sense of listening to be able to receive information that will be transmitted into the brain (Kinanti et al., 2022).Correspondingly, Hudhana & Ariyana (2018) said that fairy tales benefit children because they can entertain, educate, and provide a pleasant moral message.Based on some of the opinions above, fairy tales have an urgency that has the benefit of building children's imagination and practicing skills.
One of the efforts to increase interest in reading among the younger generation and children in particular is through reading stories or storytelling activities.Storytelling activities can be an alternative to reawaken the word culture that has been embedded in Indonesian culture.Fairy tales are one of the tools that can bring children's interest in reading.Categorized as fairy tales, folktales serve as a form of cultural expressions.These folktales, inherited in Nusantara culture, are collectively acknowledged as oral literature (Danandjaja, 1984).The narrative within fairy tales is considered as non-factual and fairy tales are not bound by time or place.In general, fairy tales usually feature animal figures who can talk and ostensibly behave as humans.In addition, the theme of the story in fairy tales generally contradicts good and bad behavior.The previous studies indicate that fairy tales can be used as diverse literacy sources that can be used to improve reading skills.This is due to the fact that it might help pupils recognize the characters in the fairy tales they read (Ernawati, 2022).

METHODS
In order to process the information gathered for this study, qualitative methodologies were employed.For conducting this research, the case study was the preferred method.Indepth difficulties can be revealed using the case study method, which can use a variety of data collection techniques depending on when the problem was established (Yusanto, 2020).This kind of case study aligns with the methodology used in this study, which is to gather as much information as possible about students' literacy and numeracy.
Based on the issues they were having with their schoolwork, 30 parents and 30 elementary school pupils served as the research subjects.The study was completed in November of 2022.The research location was in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (RT 07, RW 03, Krinjing Kidul, Jati Sarono, Nanggulan District, Kulon Progo Regency), Indonesia.The selection of the research locus was based on the low levels of reading and numeracy skills of the students in this area.
Interviews, observation, and documentation were used as the data collecting techniques.The researcher generated straightforward and organized questions, and interview activities were conducted in accordance with open interview guideline.In order to allow researchers to see the pupils' situations in the field up close, observation activities were conducted behind closed doors.The researcher selected the documentation for this study based on the requirements of the study.
This research data is considered reliable and satisfies data validity requirements.In order for decisions to be made regarding the consistency of steps, neutrality, and decisions based on data, data must be able to demonstrate the correct value and serve as the foundation for application (Moloeng, 2017).To verify the authenticity of the data in this study, researchers employed triangulation as a method of a credibility or trustworthiness test.
Triangulation is an additional method of verifying the veracity of data.Triangulation of data sources and methods is used in this study.When researchers triangulated technical data, they employed a variety of methods, including documentation, interviews, and observation.Next, the information sources were parents and pupils.The information gathered through documentation, interviews, and observations is then compared to arrive at a conclusion whose validity can be acknowledged.
The present study employs several data analysis approaches, such as data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing.Direct research is conducted to get this data by observation, interview, and documentation.During the first phase, researchers had not yet processed the collected data; it is still in its raw form.The researcher conducted a second stage of data reduction based on the findings of these data in order to further concentrate and condense the primary data.In the third step, the data that has been condensed through data reduction was presented in order to provide a structured description of the information that helped make inferences and plan the next steps.In the fourth stage, judgments were drawn after the data presentation.Conclusions were drawn after the study confirmed the results obtained trough all phases.

Challenges of Literacy Culture in the Digital Age
The challenge of literacy culture in the digital era today is the ability to use information and communication technology to find, evaluate, utilize, create, and communicate content or information with cognitive, ethical, social emotional skills, and technical aspects of technology (Pangaribuan et al., 2022) at the stage of discovering that the learner must be able to get information and select information.The capacity to comprehend and use information in formats from multiple sources that are presented digitally via electronic devices like computers, smartphones, and tablets is known as digital literacy (Firmansyah, 2023).If individuals have received information that has never been known, they still have to be vigilant and sort out the information first.Therefore, students in following developments in the digital era must still have assistance and direction from more mature people.The advent of the internet, cellphones, social networks, and the existence of computers all contributed to the growth of digital technology (Rahayu, 2019).This is because it prevents the existence of negative information that students should not know.Therefore, it can be said that the existence of literacy in the digital era can shape students to control themselves, think critically and creatively, solve problems, and master technology.
In evaluating the information obtained, it can be measured by how appropriate the information received and studied by students is to add new insights.The ability to analyze information includes the ability to distinguish the positive and negative information.The form of evaluation of this information can be measured by the number of relationships obtained by students.The more relationships or information obtained by students, the more qualified the way they speak.Therefore, students in responding to cultural challenges in the digital era must remain vigilant.
Utilizing information technology in digital era in today's developments is no longer surprising.This is evidenced by the fact that students are currently included in the 5.0 era which is required to be more creative, innovative, productive, adaptive, and competitive (Yuniarto & Yudha, 2021).So that the existence of a challenge will shape students to develop by looking for problems by themselves.However, it is not easy to make students think creatively because many of the students have a low level of thinking.Therefore, the challenges that students need to pass in the digital era can be said to be difficult because they must be able to keep up with the times.The majority of people utilize and interact with electronics on a daily basis.As a result, there are advantages and disadvantages to gadget use, with the disadvantages being more pronounced in the case of young adults, teenagers, and even toddlers (Day & Qodariah, 2018).As time progresses, the competition will be more intense in the world of education.Therefore, students must still be given direction and guidance to continue to update themselves so as not to be left behind with other friends.

Literacy Value Conveyed through Fairy Tales
The value of literacy is developed by conveying fairy tales across the country to improve literacy and numeracy.Fairy tale stories taken from students' stories or experiences are quite effective in responding to problems.Fairy tale material tailored to the learner's experience will be more appropriate compared to other people's fictional stories (Spaulding, 2011). Similarly, DeRosier & Mercer (2007) used stories about learners' lives to improve social skills as well as reduce problematic behaviors in learners.Fairy tales across the country that are conveyed to students do not only talk about animals, but also stories about plants, humans, and other topics.Berkowitz (2012) says that there are two models: (1) the story can be about fictional characters, historical figures, or contemporary and local heroes; (2) the story can be about adults in children's lives such as educators, older siblings, parents, institutional administration, and support staff.
Elementary school pupils participate in fairytale events from various regions of Indonesia in order to expand their knowledge and gain new facts.Across the country, there are activities centered around fairy tales to pique pupils' interest in reading and numeracy.Fairy tales with illustrations might draw pupils' attention to reading.The research's fairy tales center on fables that describe the lives of animals that behave similarly to people.Characters in fables are like people in real life; some are good and some are bad.In addition, students who are already familiar with fables can study animal characters.
In the fairy tale about remote lands entitled "Destiny for the Crow" talks about an animal that is often ridiculed by his own friend.The moral message of the story is that each creature has different abilities, so don't be jealous of the abilities of other creatures.Based on these moral values, attitudes and deeds are in accordance with the dispositions of the characters in the fairy tale "Destiny for the Crow".Related to the fairy tales that have been conveyed, it is hoped that it can attract the attention of students to be applied in everyday life.When students are interested, they will support them to carry out literacy and numeracy activities.Therefore, there is a need for habituation that must be applied to students to support literacy (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).Meanwhile, the numeracy literacy value is having symbol and numerical skills, analyzing information, and solving problems.

The Role of Fairy Stories for Literacy Read-Write and Numeracy
The role of fairy tales for literacy and numeracy is used as a tool or medium to attract students' attention.Fairy tales are particularly beneficial for children with low literacy levels who find text and traditional reading tedious.Fairy tales offer rich visuals to capture children's interest.According to Triyanto (2006), fairy tales as fantasy stories are useful as entertainment and moral teachings.In line with that, Rukiyah (2018) says that storytelling is a productive oral language skill.The emergence of fairy tales, in addition to the function of presenting entertainment, is to carry forward the values believed to be true by the society of the time (Suwarti et al., 2020).The fairy tale aspect provides entertainment and moral teachings so it will be interesting for learners to see, as most learners today prefer to see images rather than text.Therefore, the role of fairy tales is touted as a tool to re-enhance the culture of literacy to students.
This fairy tale entitled "Destiny for Crows" is one of the efforts to foster literacy interest in students.In storytelling activities, properties were used to make it easier for students to imagine the stories.The properties used are 3D drawings and storybooks.The 3D drawings can introduce characters in the story, making it easier for students to understand the characters.In addition, to support the content of the story, the child can look at the storybook directly.Regarding these fairy tales, children can also be trained to imagine and think creatively.This is done because storytelling can create enthusiasm.Even after listening to fairy tales, it can make students feel happy and entertained, thus making a positive impact.Similarly, Hidayah and Syahrani (2022) state that children prefer stories because in the story it is able to stimulate imagination and foster emotions in children (Abkoriah et al., 2021).Therefore, fairy tales strongly supports students to improve their literacy.

Results of Literacy and Numeracy through Fairy Tales
It is evident that fairy tales from rural parts of the nation can spark students' curiosity and improve their reading and numeracy skills.Fairy tale books with illustrations have the potential to pique kids' curiosity and pique their desire to see and read them.If a book has pictures, it will pique students' interest more and encourage them to use their imagination.This is due to the fact that elementary school pupils like a variety of pictures and colors in their reading materials, which makes them curious to see them.A comparative analysis revealed that when fairy tales were used, children demonstrated less interests in books without illustrations.Fairy tales are the ideal book to use in order to encourage pupils' interest in reading and math.Students can cultivate a culture of imagination through fairy tales, which will encourage them to think creatively and to enjoy listening to stories.In conclusion, pupils would rather have stories illustrated rather than written in text.
Students will be forced to ponder and imagine based on the picture books they have read.Students should therefore be instructed to write the story in the picture book they see if they show any interest.Since most children these days prefer to view visuals than text, it will be interesting for them to see fairy tales since they offer both entertainment and moral lessons.As a result, it is said that fairy tales might help pupils develop a stronger literacy culture.Thus, it is undeniable that the purpose of telling fairy tales to students is to encourage their interest in reading.

CONCLUSION
Activities based on fairytales from all around the nation can pique youngsters' interest in reading and math.According to the fairy tale exercises that have been used, they can help children develop a culture of imagination that will encourage critical thinking, creativity, and an interest in listening to stories.This activity piques the interest of the children because it has a lot of eye-catching images.The pictures in the narrative represent animal characters that mimic humans and take on a variety of roles, including those of good and evil people.Students will be forced to think and imagine based on what they see when they are exposed to picture books.Students should therefore be instructed to write the story in the picture book they see if they show any interest.Since most children these days prefer to view visuals than text, it will be interesting for them to see fairy tales since they offer both entertainment and moral lessons.As a result, it is said that fairy tales might help pupils develop a stronger literacy culture.Thus, fairy tales are recognized as effective media to stimulate interests and engage young learners in reading.