Students' Creative Process in Making Wayang Golek from Reused Materials: Negotiating Culture and Material

Luhap Rei Boniza; Giza Abel Annisa Furi; Lourenza Fanny Andika; Irfanny Okta Primantari; Katharina Ernawati Koten; Mabruroh Firdausi An-nur; Langgeng Adi Probo Suwito; Hartono Hartono

doi:10.63922/ijevss.v5i04.6255

Luhap Rei Boniza Semarang State University, Indonesia
Giza Abel Annisa Furi State Junior High School 17 Semarang, Indonesia
Lourenza Fanny Andika Semarang State University, Indonesia
Irfanny Okta Primantari Semarang State University, Indonesia
Katharina Ernawati Koten Semarang State University, Indonesia
Mabruroh Firdausi An-nur Semarang State University, Indonesia
Langgeng Adi Probo Suwito Semarang State University, Indonesia
Hartono Hartono Semarang State University, Indonesia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63922/ijevss.v5i04.6255

Keywords: creative process, arts education, puppet show, cultural heritage, sustainability

Abstract

This study examines how students negotiate cultural references and material constraints while making wayang golek from reused materials. A qualitative case study was conducted with 32 Grade IX B students at SMP Negeri 17 Semarang. Data were generated through participant observation across three learning sessions, semi-structured interviews with one Arts and Culture teacher and six purposively selected students, and visual documentation of the process and completed works. The data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña through data condensation, display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The findings show that students' creative process was recursive rather than linear. Ideas changed after materials were tested; structural and movement problems prompted technical revisions; and decisions emerged through discussion within groups. The teacher provided technical scaffolding without taking over students' artistic choices. Reused materials therefore function not merely as inexpensive media, but as design constraints that encourage students to reconsider the value and possibilities of discarded objects. The study shows that art learning can bring cultural interpretation, collaboration, material experimentation, and sustainability into a single creative experience.

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