Malang, Indonesia — Islamic history lessons in boarding schools are gaining a more engaging and meaningful approach through interactive storytelling media. Arie Wildana Sakti, a lecturer at Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, has developed an interactive learning medium to help first-grade students better understand the story of the birth of Prophet Muhammad SAW. The study was published in January 2026 in the International Journal of Education and Life Sciences (IJELS).
The learning media, titled “Eternal Light: The Story of the Birth of the Prophet Muhammad SAW,” combines narrative storytelling with visual elements, audio narration, and simple video support. This approach addresses a long-standing challenge in Islamic Cultural History (SKI) education, which often relies heavily on memorization and lecture-based teaching, making it difficult for young students to grasp historical context and moral values.
The study was conducted at Pesantren Ibrarul Walidain in Malang, where the researcher designed the media based on students’ learning needs and classroom conditions. The storytelling format presents historical events in a structured and emotionally engaging sequence, allowing students to visualize abstract historical narratives and connect more deeply with the material.
Rather than focusing on technical procedures, the development process emphasized practical classroom use. The media was designed to function with minimal facilities, using visual slides, printed illustrations, and audio narration, making it accessible for Islamic boarding schools with limited technological resources.
The findings indicate that interactive storytelling significantly improves students’ attention during lessons. Students were better able to recall key events, characters, and moral messages from the story of the Prophet’s birth. The approach also supports different learning styles, including visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.
Beyond cognitive improvement, the storytelling-based media strengthens students’ emotional and moral engagement. The historical narrative becomes a vehicle for cultivating love for the Prophet Muhammad SAW, reinforcing ethical values, and encouraging positive character development from an early age.
The study also highlights important considerations. The effectiveness of storytelling depends heavily on teachers’ ability to deliver stories clearly and expressively. Without standardized guidance, there is a risk of historical distortion if narratives are not grounded in authentic Islamic historical sources.
Research Implications and Impact
This study offers practical implications for Islamic education. Interactive storytelling media can serve as an effective alternative for teaching Islamic history in pesantren and madrasahs, particularly at the elementary level. The findings underscore the need for teacher training in storytelling techniques and the development of standardized story scripts to ensure historical accuracy.
According to Arie Wildana Sakti of Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, storytelling allows students “to move beyond memorizing historical facts and instead understand the values and meanings that shape everyday life.”
The approach also opens opportunities for further development, including the adaptation of storytelling media for other Islamic history topics such as the lives of the Prophet’s companions and the development of Islamic civilization.
Author Profile
Arie Wildana Sakti, M.Pd : Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang
Research Source
Sakti, Arie Wildana. Interactive Media Design Based on Storytelling for the SKI Material “The Story of the Birth of the Prophet Muhammad SAW”.
International Journal of Education and Life Sciences (IJELS), Vol. 4, No. 1, 2026.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijels.v4i1.255
URL: https://ntlmultitechpublisher.my.id/index.php/ijels/article/view/255
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