Enhancing Creativity Through Batik Training as An Attempt to Preserve Cultural Awareness in Primary Schools

Batik is an Indonesian cultural heritage that can enhance one�s creativity in order to obtain independent achievements. The skill of batik making has been passed down through generations in family circles and taught in formal educational institutions. Batik training is one that is conducted in the field of arts (leaning about art and learning through art). Art education generally emphasizes on creativity in order to encourage an appreciative and creative character through teaching materials in the curriculum, learning methods, learning environment, and human resources of the educator. The research subject in this paper are primary school children from grades 6. Specific targets determined for this research are to assist primary students in discovering their talents, developing their skills and creativity in creating motifs that are sourced from the natural environment, implementing them in patterns, and training one�s self through batik techniques. To achieve these goals, the research adopts the participatory action research method through training of batik writing and batik colet. The learning materials give students opportunities to gain a deeper knowledge of batik, learning by observing, learning by doing and learning to process together. Research results reveal that children are able to produce various creative works that are inspired by plants and animals. The increase of the student�s creativity has been influenced by factors such as the student�s personality, the facilitator as external motivational drivers, creative activity processes, and works as evidence of the childrens learning outcome