Digital Ethnopedagogy for Cultural Revitalization: A Quasi-Experimental Investigation of Multimedia-Based Electronic Teaching Materials on Malay Local Wisdom Literacy and Cultural Identity Formation

<ns3:p>Background The accelerating erosion of regional cultural knowledge under global digitalization pressures necessitates evidence-based pedagogical innovations capable of simultaneously harnessing technology and safeguarding indigenous cultural heritage. This study addresses a critical gap in digital ethnopedagogy by developing and empirically evaluating a multimedia-based Electronic Teaching Material for Malay Culture (ETM-Malay Culture) targeting junior secondary students in Riau Province, Indonesia. Methods A two-phase Research and Development design was employed: (1) systematic development of ETM-Malay Culture through the ADDIE instructional design model, with content validity established via the Gregory Formula and Aiken’s Validity Index; and (2) quasi-experimental effectiveness testing using a nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group design. A total of N = 293 Grade 7–8 students across six schools in three geographically distinct Riau Province districts (urban, suburban, rural) participated. Local Wisdom Literacy (LWL) was assessed using a 36-item validated multiple-choice test, and Malay Cultural Identity Formation (CIF) was measured through structured classroom observation using an 11-indicator rubric. Results Expert validation yielded high content validity across all components (Gregory Formula and Aiken’s Validity Index: both mean V = 0.91, very valid). Two-way between-subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a large, statistically significant main effect of instructional condition on LWL post-test scores [F(1, 287) = 287.43, p < .001, partial eta-squared = 0.50; Cohen’s d = 1.19–1.27], with no significant Group × District interaction, confirming cross-contextual generalizability. Structured classroom observations documented that the experimental group achieved ‘Very Good’ on all 11 Malay cultural identity indicators, while the control group did not reach this threshold on any indicator. Conclusions ETM-Malay Culture significantly enhances both the cognitive and affective dimensions of local wisdom education, demonstrating robust cross-district effectiveness. These findings advance digital ethnopedagogy theory and provide a validated, scalable framework for multimedia-mediated local wisdom curriculum development applicable across Indonesia’s diverse regional educational contexts.</ns3:p>