Local Wisdom as a Source of Information and a Culture-Based Learning Medium

Abstract

This study aims to examine local wisdom as a source of information and a learning medium. It uses historical, anthropological, sociological, and educational approaches, with a descriptive qualitative (case study) design. Data sources are primary and secondary: primary data come from students of the Department of History of Islamic Civilization, while secondary data consist of relevant written materials. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews with students, and documentation studies of learning materials that draw on local wisdom. Data analysis followed the stages of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings show that local wisdom is regarded as an ancestral heritage inseparable from the community and transmitted orally. It emerged from the thoughts and experiences of ancestors and is represented in traditions, customs, or rituals that grow and develop within society. The values that can be drawn from it include religious, social, mutual cooperation, artistic, historical, and economic values. The study concludes that local wisdom has great potential as an effective source of information and learning medium to raise public awareness of the importance of preserving it. Its implications broaden the researchers' insight; through this article, the wider public can also understand the meaning and values behind local wisdom, and the work can serve as a reference for researchers conducting similar studies.