SYMBOLISM IN “ELEMENTAL” MOVIE: A GUIDE FOR ENHANCING WRITING SKILLS THROUGH STORY RETELLING

Abstract

Developing writing skills remains a persistent challenge in education, particularly when conventional techniques fail to engage students meaningfully. This study investigates the effectiveness of using the animated film “Elemental” as a medium to enhance writing skills through symbolic analysis and story retelling. Grounded in sociocultural learning theory and interpretive anthropology, the study employed a mixed-methods pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design involving twenty tenth-grade students at NU 1 Vocational School Karanggeneng. Students participated in a guided intervention featuring the analysis of symbolic elements in the film, followed by structured story retelling exercises. Data were collected through pretests and posttests, which were assessed by a symbolic interpretation rubric and analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired samples t-tests, and qualitative content analysis. Quantitative findings showed that students' mean scores improved significantly from 58.90 in the pretest to 80.13 in the posttest, with symbolic understanding achieving the highest improvement at 47.4% (p < 0.001). Qualitative analysis revealed enhanced abilities in interpreting symbolic meanings and embedding them creatively into narratives. This study concludes that incorporating symbolic analysis into multimedia-based instruction effectively fosters critical literacy and creative writing skills. Limitations include the small sample size and the relatively short duration of the intervention, suggesting that future research should explore longitudinal impacts and the application of symbolic storytelling strategies across broader educational contexts.