Exploring the Implementation of Local Wisdom-Based Character Education among Indonesian Higher Education Students

Samin is an Indonesian tribe at Mount Kendeng, exactly in the cities of Blora and Bojonegoro. Samin people reject school, fez, polygamy, long trousers, and trade. Although they look like out of date, they have 7 good characters i.e discipline, honesty, responsibility, cooperation, tolerance, social care, and environmental care. This research aimed at investigating the strategies for implementing local wisdombased character education among Indonesian higher education students by focusing on the values sated in Jamuskalimasada book of Samin Community. The data of this phenomenological research were collected by observation, interview, questionnaire, and documentation. The findings demonstrated that teaching character education in the higher education based on local wisdom could be conducted by integrating values and aesthetics in the course, internalizing positive values to students, habituation and training, providing example and model, creating characterized-situation based on local wisdom, and civilizing. Value-based vision of study program or campus can be achieved through educational strategy formulation including value habituation, value role model, value internalization, value integration in learning, and cultural value. Teaching character education was related to both character actualization programmed in the lesson plan and good example provision in the classroom and daily campus activities.