The Development of Local History Learning Media Enhanced with Geographic Information Systems

Abstract

History education emphasizes not only chronological understanding and factual knowledge but also the development of spatial thinking to comprehend the locations and contexts of past events. Nevertheless, students often face difficulties in understanding the spatial dimensions of local history. This study aims to develop geographic information system (GIS)–assisted local history-learning media to enhance students’ spatial understanding in Padang. The study employed a research and development approach using the Four-D model, encompassing the stages of Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate. A needs analysis was conducted through questionnaires and interviews with teachers and students, followed by the development of an interactive digital map based on the coordinates of local historical monuments using ArcGIS and Google Earth Pro. The media were validated by experts and tested for practicality with 32 senior high school students. The results indicated that the developed media achieved a feasibility score of 83.1% (highly feasible) and a practicality score of 98.48% (highly practical). These findings demonstrate that the GIS-assisted media effectively visualize local historical events, are easy to use, and enhance students’ motivation and spatial understanding. This study contributes to history education by integrating GIS-based digital mapping to strengthen spatial perspectives in local history learning.