From Folk Tales to National Identity: Educational Impact of Albanian Children’s Literature in Kosovo

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the impact of the systematic use of works of Albanian children’s literature on the development of national identity and value orientations among primary school pupils in Kosovo. The study employed a systemic approach, comparative method, critical analysis of theoretical sources, and empirical data collection methods, including surveys, semi-structured interviews, and a formative experiment conducted in five primary schools across various regions of Kosovo from November 2024 to January 2025, involving 78 pupils from Years 3 and 4. The findings demonstrated that Albanian children’s literature performs five interrelated functions: cultural-identificational, cognitive-developmental, moral-educational, emotional-aesthetic, and therapeutic. The formative experiment revealed a significant increase in national identity scores in the experimental group (from 3.42 to 4.38 points) compared to the control group (from 3.39 to 3.67 points). The most effective in shaping national identity were found to be folk tales and legends (4.72 out of 5), historical stories (4.68), and patriotic poetry (4.65). Among value orientations, the most notable changes were observed in the indicators “Respect for elders and preservation of traditions” (an increase of 31%), “Patriotism and love for the homeland” (29%), and “Honesty and justice” (26%). A comparative analysis of different literary genres revealed that poetic works are most effective in developing phonemic awareness and enriching vocabulary, prose contributes to the development of coherent speech, while dramatic texts foster dialogical speech and communication skills. A strong correlation was found between the intensity of reading Albanian children’s literature and the level of knowledge about national history and culture (r=0.74, p<0.01), confirming the role of systematic reading as an effective means of shaping national identity.