Constructing Collective Identity Through Decolonized and Digitized Literature: A Contextual Framework from Sultan Kudarat, Philippines

This qualitative constructivist grounded theory study examined how decolonized and digitized literature instruction contributes to collective identity formation and cultural consciousness among Senior High School learners in multicultural classrooms in Sultan Kudarat, Philippines. The study addressed the limited process-oriented understanding of how local and Indigenous narratives, classroom dialogue, critical reflection, and digital literary practices interact in learners’ meaning-making. Ten learners from selected public secondary schools who had taken 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World participated. Data were generated through in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions and analyzed iteratively using constant comparison and grounded theory coding procedures. The analysis produced four interrelated categories: meaning-making through culturally situated literary encounters; negotiating perspectives through dialogic classroom engagement; critical reflection and identity reconstruction; and expanding literary engagement through digital and multimodal learning spaces. These categories were synthesized into three interconnected processes: reclaiming cultural narratives, negotiating shared meanings, and strengthening cultural consciousness through digital practice. The findings suggest that collective identity is not a fixed outcome of exposure to texts but an evolving, context-dependent process shaped by cultural representation, interaction, reflection, and digital participation. Cultural diversity, access to localized materials, and technological resources enabled or constrained learners’ participation. The resulting framework offers a context-specific explanation that may inform culturally responsive literature teaching and equitable digital learning in multicultural settings.