SK Sg Boh Pupils Turn Batik Craft into Digital Tutorials

SHAZWANI ABD RAHMAN

JOHOR BAHRU, Sept 22 – A unique collaborative workshop, “Crafted Stories: A Language & Art Workshop,” successfully engaged 24 pupils from Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Sg. Boh on 29 September 2025 at Kompleks Kraf Johor (KKJ). The event, a strategic collaboration between the Language Academy (LA) of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSH) at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Yayasan Pelajaran, Kebajikan & Penyelidikan Malaysia (YPKP), and KKJ, seamlessly blended hands-on traditional batik hand fan-making with English language skill development.

Director of KKJ, Noor Azima Mohd Alwi (seated, center); ⁠Assistant Chair of LA, Dr. Nur’ain Balqis Haladin (7th from right); programme director, Dr. Nurhidayah Mohd Sharif (8th from right), UTM Centre for Community & Industry Network representatives, Muhammad Hanafi Md Sah (seated, left); Headmaster of SK Sungai Boh, Khairulakmar Dolah @ Abdullah (standing, center); and Chairperson of YPKP, Shamini Supramaniam (seated, right), with the teachers, student facilitators, judges, and trainers

The workshop was designed to provide a holistic educational experience for students from B40 families and under-resourced schools. It was a carefully sequenced blend of hands-on art and structured language learning. The day began with pupils immersing themselves in the traditional craft, learning to create batik hand fans firsthand under the guidance of a master artisan, Ismail, from KKJ.

A pupil from SK Sg. Boh learns to make a batik hand fan under the guidance of a KKJ staff during the workshop

Following the practical session, the focus shifted to language acquisition. Students learned the language of instruction, focusing on key action verbs and sequence connectors to describe the process they had just performed. They then collaborated in groups to write a structured script for a video tutorial on “How to Make a Batik Hand Fan.”

UTM student facilitators played a crucial role, guiding the pupils in scriptwriting, coaching them on clear presentation skills, and drilling them on pronunciation. Once the scripts were perfected and the pupils were confident in their delivery, the facilitators recorded their narrations. The footage of the craft-making process was edited into polished video tutorials.

A collage of moments from the workshop shows UTM student facilitators guiding SK Sg Boh pupils through the process of creating batik hand fan video tutorials, from craft-making and scriptwriting to recording and final presentation

The programme director, Dr. Nurhidayah Mohd Sharif from LA highlighted the programme’s innovative methodology, stating, “We moved beyond theory to applied learning. The students didn’t just learn grammar; they used it for a real purpose to create a clear and effective tutorial. This ‘learning by doing’ approach in both art and language makes the educational experience memorable and impactful.”

The workshop culminated in a cinematic closing ceremony where the four student-produced batik hand fan tutorial videos were screened to an audience of teachers, the school principal, and partners.

The success of the programme underscores the potential of interdisciplinary, community-linked projects in enhancing educational outcomes. The collaborative partners are optimistic about the potential for future programmes that continue to bridge the gap between academia, language arts, and traditional culture.

The tutorial videos can be accessed here:

Authors: Shazwani Abd Rahman and Awis Rumaisya Azizan

For community service opportunities, please contact: Dr Nurhidayah at nurhidayahms@utm.my