Networked-Based Inquiry (NBI) for Poetry Pedagogy in Indonesian Higher Education: A Mixed-Methods Quasi Experimental Study on 21st-Century Skills and Digital Literacy

<ns3:p>Background Traditional poetry pedagogy in higher education often prioritizes individual expression and print-based practice, leaving gaps in students’ digital literacy and 21st-century competencies (4C: critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication). Methods We developed a Networked-Based Inquiry (NBI) model and evaluated it using a mixed-methods research and development design with a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group. Participants were 120 undergraduate Indonesian Language and Literature Education students (n = 60 experimental; n = 60 control) who completed eight instructional sessions. Poetry quality was scored with an analytic rubric by two independent raters (inter-rater reliability assessed with ICC), and 4C skills were measured with a Rasch-validated questionnaire. MANOVA tested group differences, and interviews/field notes were analyzed thematically. Results The NBI group showed larger gains than the control group in poetry writing quality and overall 4C skills. MANOVA indicated a statistically significant multivariate effect of the intervention (p < 0.05), with the largest effects observed for critical thinking and collaboration. Qualitative findings suggested that networked exploration supported credible source curation, peer negotiation of meaning, and iterative draft refinement, strengthening students’ “ecological agency”. Conclusions Embedding networked inquiry within poetry writing can improve aesthetic outcomes while simultaneously cultivating digital literacy and integrated 4C competencies. The NBI model offers an adaptable framework for humanities courses seeking to align creative practice with contemporary networked learning demands.</ns3:p>