Council: Education Journal of Social Studies

Local Wisdom as the Foundation of Multicultural Education in Indonesia

Muchammad Mugiono — 2026-07-22

Multicultural education in Indonesia often remains trapped in theoretical abstractions that are disconnected from the sociocultural realities of students. This study aims to examine local wisdom as a foundation for contextual multicultural education, identify multicultural values within various Indonesian traditions, and formulate strategies for their integration into learning processes. This research employs a systematic literature review with a qualitative-descriptive approach, analyzing data sourced from SINTA-accredited journals (2015–2025), textbooks, and conference proceedings. The findings indicate that Indonesian traditions such as Pela Gandong (Maluku), Mapalus (Minahasa), Ngayah (Bali), Ruwatan (Java), Grebeg-Sekaten (Yogyakarta-Solo), Cap Go Meh, and Lomban (Cirebon) inherently embody values of tolerance, equality, and cross-identity fraternity. Strategies for integrating such local wisdom can be implemented through formal curricula, extracurricular activities, project-based learning (PjBL), Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) approaches, and teacher modeling. Nevertheless, significant challenges persist in its implementation, specifically the scarcity of cultural documentation, insufficient teacher training, and the dominance of a centralized curriculum. This paper contributes to shifting the paradigm of multicultural education toward pedagogical practices rooted in local culture, while offering a practical framework for educators in the field.

Digital Literacy in Navigating Historical Narratives in the Era of Disruption: Implications for Twenty First Century Local History Learning

Tati Haryati — 2026-07-22

This study aims to analyze the role of digital literacy in Local History learning in the era of disruption by focusing on four key aspects: (1) students' utilization of digital historical sources, (2) their ability to evaluate the credibility of local historical narratives, (3) the development of historical thinking skills, and (4) the implications of digital literacy for twenty-first-century history education. This study employed a qualitative approach using a case study design conducted in the Local History course of the History Education Study Program. Data were collected through classroom observations, in-depth interviews, and document analysis, and were analyzed through data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The findings reveal that digital literacy encourages students to utilize a wide range of digital historical sources more critically and responsibly, enhances their ability to verify and evaluate the credibility of local historical narratives, and promotes the development of historical thinking through the use of historical evidence, contextual analysis, and evidence-based argumentation. Furthermore, the integration of digital literacy transforms Local History learning into a more participatory, collaborative, and inquiry-based learning process, thereby fostering essential twenty-first-century competencies, including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, and information literacy. This study concludes that digital literacy serves as a strategic competency in developing history learning that is adaptive to the era of disruption while strengthening the quality of twenty-first-century history education.

Countering Disinformation: The Role of Civic Education in the Post-Truth Era

Irfandi Irfandi — 2026-07-22

The rapid advancement of digital technology has transformed information threats from mere disinformation into an epistemic crisis, characterized by the declining ability of society to evaluate and verify the credibility of information. This study aims to analyze this transformation, examine the reorientation of Civic Education as an instrument of epistemic defense, and formulate implementation strategies through the integration of critical literacy into the curriculum. This study employed a qualitative descriptive literature review approach by analyzing scholarly articles, books, reports from international organizations, and relevant policy documents. Data were analyzed through reduction, synthesis, and interpretation of the reviewed literature. The findings reveal that the epistemic crisis is driven by the proliferation of disinformation, the rapid development of artificial intelligence, social media algorithms, and the echo chamber phenomenon, all of which erode public trust in credible sources of knowledge. These conditions necessitate a reorientation of Civic Education from a normative citizenship paradigm toward strengthening epistemic defense through critical thinking, information evaluation, and evidence-based reasoning. This reorientation can be implemented by systematically integrating critical literacy into learning outcomes, instructional materials, inquiry- and project-based learning strategies, and authentic assessment. The study concludes that integrating critical literacy into Civic Education is a fundamental strategy for fostering citizens with epistemic resilience who are capable of critically evaluating information and participating responsibly in democratic life in the digital era.

The Implementation of a Gamification Approach to Enhance Learning Motivation Among Generation Z Students in History Courses

Megiridha Lopes — 2026-07-22

The rapid development of digital technology has transformed the learning characteristics of Generation Z students, who tend to prefer interactive, collaborative, and experiential learning environments. However, history instruction in higher education is still largely dominated by conventional teaching approaches, resulting in low student learning motivation. This study aims to describe the implementation of a gamification approach in a history course and to analyze its role in enhancing the learning motivation of Generation Z students. The study employed a descriptive qualitative approach conducted in the History Education Study Program. Data were collected through classroom observations, in-depth interviews, and documentation, and were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, which consists of data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The findings indicate that the implementation of gamification through the use of points, leaderboards, challenges, and rewards successfully increased students' enthusiasm, active participation, learning readiness, and engagement throughout the learning process. Interview results further revealed that gamification created a more engaging learning environment, enhanced students' learning motivation, and encouraged them to participate more actively in discussions, collaborate with peers, and prepare course materials before class. Furthermore, the gamification approach transformed the instructional process from teacher-centered learning to student-centered learning, enabling students to play a more active role in constructing knowledge. This study confirms that gamification is an effective instructional strategy for enhancing learning motivation while fostering more interactive, meaningful, and engaging history learning experiences that align with the characteristics of Generation Z students.

Integration of Environmental Social Issues in Sociology Learning to Build Social Awareness in High School Students

La Lulu Odebora — 2026-07-22

This study aims to describe the integration of social and environmental issues in Sociology learning and analyze its role in shaping social awareness of grade X students of SMA Negeri 4 Ternate City. The study used a qualitative approach with a case study design. The research informants consisted of Sociology subject teachers and grade X students who were selected purposively. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation, then analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña which includes data condensation, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. Data validity was obtained through source triangulation and technical triangulation. The results showed that the integration of social and environmental issues was carried out by linking learning materials with social phenomena close to students' lives, such as waste management, bullying, mutual cooperation, and environmental awareness through discussion activities, case analysis, presentations, and reflection. This approach makes learning more contextual, increases student participation, and facilitates understanding of Sociology concepts. In addition, the integration of social and environmental issues contributes to the formation of students' social awareness as demonstrated through the development of empathy, social responsibility, cooperation, environmental awareness, and participation in various social activities at school