Cultural learning in elementary schools (SD) has an important role in building national identity and instilling local wisdom values from an early age. However, students' low interest in cultural learning is a challenge for educators. The development of digital technology, especially Augmented Reality (AR), offers innovative solutions in enhancing a more interactive and engaging learning experience. This research aims to explore the role of local Indonesian indigenous culture-based AR media, particularly related to Javanese cultural elements, in improving the cultural understanding of elementary school students. A qualitative method was employed, involving semi-structured interviews with three elementary school teachers from Taman, Buduran, and Candi Districts in Sidoarjo Regency. The findings indicate that teachers are aware of the importance of cultural learning but face challenges in making the content appealing to students. AR is perceived as a promising tool to increase engagement by visualizing cultural objects such as traditional houses, clothing, and folklore through interactive media. However, barriers such as limited digital infrastructure, insufficient teacher training, and lack of localized AR content remain significant obstacles. In conclusion, while AR technology has strong potential to enhance cultural learning in Indonesian elementary schools, its success depends on cross-sectoral collaboration in content development, ongoing teacher professional development, and improved access to supporting technologies.
Hidayat et al. (Mon,) studied this question.