Culturally Responsive Digital Numeracy Instruction in Indonesian Early Childhood Education: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Technology

This study investigates how early childhood educators in Indonesia integrate digital media with indigenous cultural knowledge to enhance numeracy learning in diverse educational settings. Addressing the need for culturally responsive and technologically enriched numeracy instruction, the research explores the types of digital tools used, instructional strategies adopted, and cultural elements embedded in early childhood classrooms. A qualitative exploratory case study design was employed, involving semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis with six educators from varied urban and rural contexts. Data were thematically analyzed to identify patterns in digital integration and cultural contextualization. Findings reveal that educators effectively combine interactive digital technologies—such as educational applications and multimedia tools—with indigenous cultural content, including traditional foods, local languages, and folk narratives. This integration promotes numeracy skill development and strengthens children’s cultural identity. Teachers utilize a blend of visualization, gamification, personalized instruction, and collaborative learning to engage students meaningfully. However, professional development and institutional support remain crucial for optimizing technology use and cultural responsiveness. The study underscores the potential of culturally grounded digital pedagogy to create equitable, engaging early numeracy environments. It contributes novel insights for curriculum design, teacher training, and policy-making in multicultural and resource- diverse contexts.