Author

Bea Mae G. Benta*
St. Louis College of Bulanao, Tabuk City, Kalinga, Philippines

Abstract

This study examined the use of indigenous narratives as pedagogical tools for enhancing literary appreciation and cultural identity among Grade 12 Senior High School students of Saint Tonis College, Inc., Tabuk City, Kalinga. The study employed a mixed-methods descriptive–developmental research design involving 200 Grade 12 students during the School Year 2025–2026. Quantitative data were collected using a validated Likert-scale questionnaire, while qualitative data were gathered through a interview guide. Descriptive statistics, including weighted mean and standard deviation, were used to analyze the quantitative data, while thematic analysis was employed for the qualitative responses. The findings revealed that students demonstrated a high level of literary appreciation (M = 3.61) and a very high level of cultural identity (M = 3.78) toward indigenous narratives, with an overall mean of 3.70 interpreted as Strongly Agree. Qualitative results further showed that engagement with indigenous stories helped students understand literary elements, appreciate cultural values, recognize ancestral wisdom, and develop pride in their cultural heritage. The results indicate that indigenous narratives function as effective instructional resources that simultaneously strengthen literary competence and cultural consciousness. Based on the findings, a proposed Learning Resource Material titled Echoes of Kalinga was developed to support the integration of indigenous narratives in literature instruction and promote culturally responsive teaching practices.

Keywords: Indigenous narratives, literary appreciation, cultural identity, pedagogical tools, cultural consciousness, culturally responsive teaching.

*Corresponding author
DOI: http://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS05021047

Recommended citation:
Benta, B. M. G. (2026). Indigenous narratives as pedagogical tools for enhancing literary appreciation and cultural identity. Pantao (The International Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences) 5 (2), 2411-2428. http://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS05021047

Read the full text

References

Ahmadi, A. (2021). Teaching creative (literary) writing: Indigenous psychological perspective. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences, 16(4), 1422–1433.

Anderson, A., Sodani, D. G., & Belson, S. I. (2025). The influence of culturally responsive literacy practices on students’ literacy motivation.

Angilan, J. (2021). Differentiated instruction and students’ literary competence: An experimental study. Middle Eastern Journal of Research in Education and Social Sciences, 2(2).

Anjorin-Ojewole, R. B. (2023). Impact of learning attitude on students’ academic performance in literature-in-English in secondary schools in Lagos State. Sapientia Foundation Journal of Education, Sciences and Gender Studies, 5(2), 219–228.

Archuleta, K. R. C. (2025). Exploring the relationship between literary appreciation skills and academic performance among students. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 7(2), 1–10.

Asadchykh, O., Kindzhybala, O., Burovska, O., Himawan, P., & Andrianov, D. (2025). Linguistic and cultural types in Oriental literatures (On the examples of Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and Georgia). International Journal on Culture, History, and Religion, 7(SI1), 941–964.

Baba, J. (2022). Learners’ views of literature and academic achievement in a literature course: A sample of ESL pre-service teachers in Malaysia. Asian TESOL Journal, 2(1), 15–29.

Balaba, R. M. (2023). Social impact of multicultural education on Indigenous secondary learners of Caraga Region. AIDE Interdisciplinary Research Journal, 5, 43–45.

Barlis, M. A. D., Marcelo, M. S. H. B., & Bulawat, A. C. (2023). Improving understanding of Philippine literature among Grade 7 students: A study on the effectiveness of storyboards. International Journal of Scientific Research in Multidisciplinary Studies, 9(6), 42–48.

Bastida, E. L. Jr., Saysi, J. G., & Batuctoc, L. V. M. (2022). Pedagogical struggles and gaps in language literacy enhancement: The case of Indigenous people’s education teachers in the Philippines. International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 15(1), 142–165.

Belarde, S. A. (2025). Narratives that educate: The impact of teaching indigenous and folk literature on student learning in Philippine HEIs. International Journal on Culture, History, and Religion, 7(SI2), 388–402.

Belarde, S. A., Ahmad, A., Lakkian, W. A., Ayco-Andes, M. G., Hadjirul, H. A., & Alawan, A. A. D. (2025). Cultivating critical cultural awareness: Teaching world literature through intercultural pedagogy in the tertiary level. International Journal on Culture, History, and Religion, 7(SI2), 403–418.

Cabbigat, A. G. (2025). Contextualized Highland and Indigenous Literature for Ayangan Grade 7 (CHILAG) workbook for noting details. Journal of Education, Learning, and Management, 2(1), 160–169.

Calafato, R., & Simmonds, K. (2022). Linkages between literary response, aesthetic competence, and literary competence in the EFL classroom.

Caliboso, J., Bagalay, B., Santiago, M. G., Bayan, R., Aguinaldo, I., & Belo, J. (2025). Literary texts as cultural tools: A study on contextualized learning strategies in Philippine higher education. International Journal on Culture, History, and Religion, 7(SI2), 340–355.

Catama, B. V., Murillo, M. G. N., Marcos, P. V. G., & Tabilin, K. C. (2024). Promoting heritage language: A phenomenological study on the approaches used by Cordilleran students. Vidyodaya Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 9(2), 1–20.

da Silva, C., Pereira, F., & Amorim, J. P. (2023). The integration of indigenous knowledge in school: A systematic review. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 53(7), 1210–1228.

Dedel, J. C., Harani, G. J., Plaza, F. A., & Syting, C. J. O. (2023). Acculturation strategies of indigenous students in learning English: A qualitative inquiry. Journal Corner of Education, Linguistics, and Literature, 3(2), 187–204.

Department of Education. (2015). DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2015: Adopting the Indigenous Peoples Education Curriculum Framework. Department of Education.

Engku Suhaimi Engku Atek, Hassan, I., Latiff Azmi, M. N., Azmi, N. J., & Alias, M. H. Y. (2020). Students’ perceptions of the English literature component in Malaysian secondary schools. Language Related Research, 11(5), 125–144.

Eustaquio, M. T. L., Clemente, R. C., Joaquin, M. L., Manaois, F. R. B., Alih, C. B., & Tulawie, A. (2025). Reimagining pedagogy through cultural narratives: Integrating Philippine literature in higher education classrooms. International Journal on Culture, History, and Religion, 7(SI2), 262–277.

Fabregat-Barrios, S., Fontich, X., & Gonzalez-Gonzalez-de-Mesa, C. (2023). The eclectic landscape: Examining Spanish secondary school teachers’ beliefs on literary education. University of Jaen, Autonomous University of Barcelona, and University of Oviedo.

Faizah Mohamad, Safarin Azuar, N. F. F., Abdul Kadir, Z., Mohd Rathi, N. A., & Rais, H. (2021). Students’ attitudes and perceptions towards cultural elements in literary texts. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(11), 2461–2470.

Flores, K. G., Gadaza, A. C., Galdonez, D. C., Pihnuton, J. N., Soriano, R. B., & Killip, A. G. Jr. (2025). Decolonizing pedagogy: Integrating indigenous knowledge and Philippine historical narratives in higher education curricula. International Journal on Culture, History, and Religion, 7(1), 333–356.

Gadaza, A. C., Manera, A. B., Caban, R. M., Camiring-Picpican, H., Alih, C. B., & Tulawie, A. U. (2025). Cultural identity and historical consciousness: A study of Philippine history instruction in tertiary education. International Journal on Culture, History, and Religion, 7(SI2), 19–35.

Gadaza, A. C., Manera, A. B., Santos, S. D., Alih, C. B., Caban, R. M., & Tulawie, A. U. (2025). Reviving the past, teaching the future: The role of Philippine cultural heritage in curriculum development of teacher education programs. International Journal on Culture, History, and Religion, 7(SI2), 80–97.

Hipolito, M. F. G. (2024). A systematic literature review on the significance of the School of Living Traditions in preserving the cultural heritage of indigenous peoples. International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research, 5(2), 605–614.

Hunter, A., Carlos, M., Muniz, F. B., Leybas Nuno, V., Fox, M. J. T., Carvajal, S., Lameman, B., & Yuan, N. (2024). Participation in a culturally grounded program strengthens cultural identity, self-esteem, and resilience in urban indigenous adolescents. American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research.

Ilagan, R. O. (2024). Integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSPs) in the K to 12 curriculum for Sama Bajaus: A case study. International Education Forum, 2(9).

Jayapalan, E., Theventhiran, D., Shreevaani, S., Selvraju, J., Seigar, I., & Velautham, A. (2024). Exploring collaborative approaches in literature education: Fostering creative expression and student engagement through adaptation of “An Inspector Calls.”

Juanday, P. B. A. (2025). Cultural heritage awareness and appreciation among senior high school students of Parang National High School: Sulu Province in focus. Social Psychology and Human Experience, 2(1).

Lawton, C. J. (2024). Instigators and partners: Young adult literature’s role in readers’ identity formation [Master’s thesis, The University of Tennessee].

Lee, Y., Jang, B. G., & Smith, K. C. (2021). A systematic review of reading engagement research: What do we mean, what do we know, and where do we need to go?

Lestari, I. S., Nurnaningrum, G., Astuti, I. A., Hermawan, H. A., Lugina, T. D., & Amalia, L. L. (2025). Writing indigenous narratives through project-based learning: Promoting students’ critical thinking in an EFL classroom. International Journal of Language Education, 9(2), 415–436.

Li, J. (2023). Emotion expression in modern literary appreciation: An emotion-based analysis. Shanxi University.

Madriaga, L. P. (2025). (De) Colonized English curriculum of pre-service teachers. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 59(1), 123–138.

Ngag, J. B. U. (2023). Unveiling the literary appreciation of Teduray students: A case study analysis of their works. Boletin de Literatura Oral, 10, 30–37.

Ocampo, D. M. (2024). Language and literary skills of senior high school Filipino ESL learners: Basis for pedagogical interface. Library Progress International, 44(3), 6102–6108.

Pagaddut, M. D., & Tamana, M. P. (2024). Knowledge and competence of teachers on the integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices. International Journal of Arts, Sciences and Education, 5(2), 144–159.

Pascua, R. (2022). Senior high school students’ experiences of and reflections on Ilokano culture and heritage studies. American Journal of Arts and Human Science, 1(2), 52–57.

Peterson, S. S., & Robinson, R. B. (2020). Rights of indigenous children: Reading children’s literature through an indigenous knowledges lens. Education Sciences, 10(10), 281.

Reyes, M. S. E., Postrano, J. G., Adubal, N. B. A., & Ngo, C. G. A. (2025). Echoes of heritage: Cultural identity as a predictor of the indigenous students’ attitude towards English language. World Journal of English Language, 15(6), 224.

Riley, T., Meston, T., Cutler, C., Low-Choy, S., McCormack, B. A., Kim, E.-J. A., Nakar, S., & Vasco, D. (2024). Weaving stories of strength: Ethically integrating indigenous content in teacher education and professional development programmes. Teaching and Teacher Education, 139, 104513.

Schroeder, M., Tourigny, E., Bird, S., Ottmann, J., Jeary, J., Mark, D., Kootenay, C., Graham, S. A., & McKeough, A. (2024). Supporting indigenous children’s oral storytelling using a culturally referenced, developmentally based program. University of Calgary and First Nations University of Canada.

Selvera, R., & Garvida, L. M. (2025). In-depth exploration of learning engagements’ experiences of reader-response approach in Anglo-Saxon literature: A multiple case study.

Sugue, A. S., & Reyes, M. M. (2022). Rediscovering the value of Philippine mythology for Philippine schools: Literature review. International Journal of Language and Literary Studies, 4(3), 329–341.

Urbano, C. M., Gumangan, M. A., Gustilo, L., & Capacete, M. P. A. (2021). Reading and writing needs of senior high school students: The case of Filipino students in the Philippines. Modern Journal of Studies in English Language Teaching and Literature, 3(1), 141–150.

Webber, C., Wilkinson, K., Duncan, L. G., & McGeown, S. (2023). Adolescents’ perspectives on the barriers to reading for pleasure.

Wiysahnyuy, L. F., & Valentine, N. B. (2023). Folktales as indigenous pedagogic tools for educating school children: A mixed methods study among the Nso of Cameroon. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1049691.

Yakumbu, S., Darni, D., & Raharjo, R. P. (2025). Integrating folktales teaching in improving students’ writing skills. Journal of Education and Teacher Training Innovation, 2(2), 153–163.

Yosef. (2025). Students’ local cultural identity and its assessment in public and Islamic junior high schools. Education Quarterly Reviews, 8(1), 268.