Revitalizing Appreciation of Local Literature through the Empowerment of Indonesian Language Subject Teacher Working Groups (MGMP) in Magetan Regency

Abstract

The revitalization of local literary appreciation is an effort to strengthen cultural literacy and promote contextual Indonesian language learning in secondary schools. However, utilizing local literature as a learning resource requires strengthening teachers' capacities, particularly in developing literary appreciation strategies and integrating regional cultural heritage into classroom activities. This community engagement program aims to describe the empowerment of the Indonesian Language Subject Teacher Working Group (MGMP) in Magetan Regency in supporting the revitalization of local literary appreciation. The program was conducted on October 5, 2026, using a collaborative-participatory approach through focus group discussions (FGDs), involving ten Indonesian language teachers from five secondary schools and six lecturers from Universitas Negeri Surabaya. The activities included material presentations, exchanges of pedagogical experiences, discussions on challenges in literature teaching, and preliminary mapping of Magetan's local literary resources for educational purposes. The materials covered the reader-response approach, contextual learning, digital media utilization, and a five-stage literary appreciation framework consisting of orientation, exploration, analysis, creation, and reflection. The results indicate that the FGD was conducted in a conducive environment and provided opportunities for teachers to share experiences, identify learning challenges, and discuss alternative strategies for developing local literary appreciation. The preliminary mapping also identified several potential learning resources, including the Legend of Lake Sarangan, the Labuhan Sarangan tradition, the Legend of Grabahan Village, the story of Kanjeng Ratu Maduretna, and the Watu Nganten folktale.