<![CDATA[Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study is to explore how interactive Scratch-based learning influences children's engagement and digital literacy within the context of early childhood education (PAUD). Specifically, the study examines whether integrating Scratch into the learning process improves children's attention, motivation, active participation, and fundamental digital interaction skills compared with conventional instructional methods.Methodology: The study adopted a quasi-experimental design using a non-equivalent control group approach. The participants comprised 30 children aged 4–5 years enrolled in a single early childhood education (PAUD) institution. They were assigned to two groups: an experimental group (n = 15), which participated in Scratch-based interactive learning activities, and a control group (n = 15), which received conventional storytelling-based instruction. Data were collected using observation sheets with a 4-point scale measuring focus, enthusiasm, participation, and digital literacy through pre-test and post-test observations and subsequently analyzed using paired-samples and independent-samples t-test.Main Findings: The findings revealed that children in the experimental group demonstrated significantly greater improvements across all measured variables than those in the control group. Interactive Scratch-based learning effectively increased attention, active participation, and enthusiasm during learning activities. Additionally, children demonstrated improved ability to interact with digital media and follow simple digital instructions. The effect size analysis also indicated large practical effects in the experimental group.Novelty/Originality of This Study: This study offers an empirical contribution by examining the effectiveness of Scratch-based interactive learning in early childhood education through a quasi-experimental research design. It integrates digital game-based learning with measurable engagement and digital literacy outcomes, which remains limited in research on PAUD, particularly in real classroom contexts.]]>
