<![CDATA[Emotional regulation is an important aspect of early childhood social-emotional development. At the age of 5-6 years, children still need concrete learning experiences that are closely connected to their everyday lives to recognize, express, and manage emotions. This study aims to describe emotional regulation learning through storytelling based on Papuan local wisdom among children aged 5-6 years at TK Kartika, Merauke, South Papua. This study employed a qualitative approach with a case study design. Data were collected through teacher interviews, classroom observations, and documentation, and were analyzed thematically. The findings show that some children were able to recognize and name basic emotions, while others still responded spontaneously by crying, shouting, or withdrawing when experiencing conflict or disappointment. Storytelling provided opportunities for children to understand emotions through characters, conflicts, and story resolutions. Incorporating Papuan cultural contexts made learning more relevant to children’s environment and everyday experiences, while teachers played an important role in connecting the characters’ experiences with children’s own experiences through questions, discussions, and guidance. Storytelling based on Papuan local wisdom is relevant as a social-emotional learning approach to support children in recognizing, expressing, understanding, and learning to regulate their emotions in a more contextual way. Keywords: storytelling, Papuan local wisdom, emotional regulation, children aged 5-6 years, early childhood education.]]>
Copyrights © 2026
