LEARNING INDONESIAN LOCAL FUNCTIONS SINCE AGE DINI

By Titi Chandrawati, titich@ecampus.ut.ac.id (lecturer at the Open University)

Abstract

Indonesia is a large country that has a diverse culture, a population of 250 million people, thousands of
dialects and thousands of islands. As an Indonesian child, from the beginning, through various ways,
early childhood must learn about their own country and culture. Moreover, early childhood is in their
golden years making it easier for them to perceive various sciences and skills. For that, they must be
helped to have all the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need. If from the beginning they learn to
know and love their own culture, it is hoped that this early childhood will be able to become Indonesian
Indonesians who are permanent. For this reason, local wisdom in Indonesia must be introduced and
accustomed to be used by them. The introduction of culture itself must involve parents, teachers and
the early childhood community. This research is an effort to increase the awareness and interest of
teachers or early childhood educators on the importance of PAUD children they know, know and love
their own culture. Besides, that PAUD teachers must also develop several activities for their
kindergarten children. Some activities for kindergarten children in learning Indonesian cultures such as
paying attention and getting to know traditional clothing, regional languages and Indonesian food, as
well as learning about the nature of Indonesia and some islands and tribes in Indonesia from videos. The
results of the study indicate that both their teachers and students were very fond of the learning
experience. In addition, when children and teachers are asked about what they experience in learning
Indonesian culture, children can explain in their language about the culture of their country such as how
to dress, language and food in Indonesia.

Keywords: local wisdom, Indonesian culture, learning activities

Background

Indonesia is an archipelago that has more than 15,000 islands. Islands in Indonesia spread from east to
west. As one of the largest countries in Asia, Indonesia has a population of more than 250 million people
living in 35 provinces throughout Indonesia
(https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2018/05/18/2018-number of residents -Indonesia-
reaching-265-million-souls). Based on the population distribution, an estimated 57.5 percent of
Indonesians live on Java (https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demografi_Indonesia). While the remaining 42.5
percent are spread on Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan (Kalimantan Indonesia), Sulawesi, and the Indonesian
part of Papua Island (known as Irian Jaya). All residents living on these islands have different languages
and cultures such as clothing and food that is typical of every region in Indonesia.

The name Indonesia comes from the word Indus, the Latin name for land outside the Indus river, and
the Greek language nesos, which means island (http://indonesiad.com/all-about-indonesia-indonesia-
fast-facts/). Then James Richardson Logan, a Scotch scholar, changed the letter u to o so that his name
became Indonesian, not Indonesian, and then the name Indonesia was used by Indonesian scholars to
rename the Dutch East Indies (http://aceh.tribunnews.com/2018/08/17/dulunya -from -India-Netherlands-
apparently-this is how-the-origin-Indonesian-name? page = 2).

As a large country with more than 300 ethnic groups, each with its own cultural identity, the
development of Indonesia for centuries has been influenced by the culture of all countries that have
existed in Indonesia such as from countries: India, Arabia, China and Europe. This situation makes
Indonesian culture rich and diverse. Examples of Indonesian culture are Javanese and Balinese
traditional dances which contain aspects of Hindu culture and mythology. While dances from Betawi are
influenced by Chinese culture. Although Indonesia has a large and varied population, islands, dialects,
and cultures, Indonesia thinks of the national slogan "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" - which means, "many, but
one". The other meaning of the slogan is "unity in diversity (http://indonesiad.com/all-about- Indonesia-
Indonesia-fact-fast/)

However, nowadays, Indonesian culture is not really known or understood by Indonesians especially
generations young people. Not many Indonesians care and try to learn about their own culture.
Conversely, foreigners are more interested in Indonesian culture than Indonesians themselves
(http://health.liputan6.com/read/833096/ini-alasan-orang-asing-tertarik-budaya-indonesia &
https://www.dictio.id / t / how-do-people-views-Indonesia-culture / 1098)

Not knowing their own culture makes Indonesians lose their own identity, loses their own ethics and
many good qualities must be inherited from parents or elderly people. Therefore, it is our duty as
Indonesian teachers or educators to teach our students or children about Indonesian culture because
learning culture can also mean learning their local wisdom.

Based on what was stated in the background, researchers tried to emphasize early childhood educators
such as kindergarten teachers to introduce and to teach and familiarize their early students to know,
learn and understand their own culture.

The literature review of the

Advanced Research Center on Language Retrieval (in https://www.livescience.com/21478-what-is-

culture-definition-of-culture.html) defines culture as a pattern of behavior and mutual interaction,
cognitive construction, and understanding that learned through socialization. Examples of culture
include religion, food, clothing, language, marriage, music, religion, people's way of life, ways, ethics, the
way people communicate.

The word "culture" comes from the French term, which in turn comes from the Latin "colere," which
means tending to earth and growth, or cultivation and maintenance (in Zimmerman, 2017,
https://www.livescience.com/21478- what-culture-definition-culture.html).

To learn about Indonesian culture, we must introduce and teach Indonesian children from an early age
or ECE to their culture. Why ECE? An expert on the development and behavior of an American boy
named Brazelton, found a conclusion from his research, that the experiences of children in the first
months and years of their lives determine whether children will be able to face challenges in their lives
and whether they will have the desire to learn and succeed in their work. This shows that at the age of
0-6 years is an important stage of human development and growth. Then the desired character can be
formed from an early age (http://ibufoundation.or.id/index.php/2015/12/18/penerapan-nilai-budaya-
untuk-anak-usia-dini/).

Students in Indonesia rarely learn about their own culture while western or foreign cultures, especially
from the West, successfully influence Indonesian students. It can be seen from the private room to the
privacy space that is strung together with foreign culture. Foreign culture is finally able to replace the
traditional culture that should be held by students
(http://www.republika.co.id/berita/koran/urbana/14/11/28/nfqds96-belajar-mencintai-budaya -sirikan-
since- early).

To fortify the development of foreign cultures, art and cultural education from an early age must be
given to each student. Because the nature of a man is to digest and remember what they did for the first
time and keep repeating. As learning stands and speaks for toddlers, young students from both early
childhood and elementary schools will be good to be introduced to the art and culture of their own
country (http://www.republika.co.id/berita/ Koran / Urbana / 14/11 / 28 / nfqds96-learn-accept-
culture-own-since-early). If culture can be learned since early age students, it is hoped that the
successor of this nation is expected to fortify themselves to revive traditional arts and culture
(http://www.republika.co.id/berita/koran/urbana / 14/11/ 28 / nfqds96-learn-accept-culture-self-since-
early).

One way to apply cultural arts to the nation's successor body is to reproduce lessons about this in
schools because Indonesia's general curriculum is still lacking in maintaining the value of traditional arts
and culture. The theoretical part that is consumed more than practice so it has not produced maximum
results (http://www.republika.co.id/berita/koran/urbana/14/11/28/nfqds96-belajar-mencintai-
mencintai-budaya-sadiri- since early stage).

In addition, there are still not many teachers in this country who have a vision and mission in
maintaining the nation's artistic culture. That is one of the reasons why Indonesian youth are not so
concerned about traditional culture
(http://www.republika.co.id/berita/koran/urbana/14/11/28/nfqds96-belajar-mencintai-budaya- itself-
since -early).

About culture as local wisdom, Sunaryo and Laxman (2003 in Saputri, 2017) say that local wisdom is local
wisdom that is so integrated with the belief system, norms, and culture expressed in the traditions and
myths that have been adhered to for a long time. . Traditional values harmonize human life by
respecting, nurturing, nurturing and preserving the natural environment. The characteristic of local
wisdom is being able to hold foreign cultures, have the ability to accommodate foreign cultures, have
the ability to control, and have the ability to integrate elements of foreign culture into indigenous
cultures, members who are able to develop culture.
Early childhood education (PAUD) is known as education for the first eight years in the life of an
individual. Learning culture since young children will hopefully help children to understand more about
their own culture since the first eight years of a child is gold. This means that children can learn to
understand culture easily, happily and that knowledge can stay longer in their minds.

To help children develop well, parents must provide a good education for their children. Therefore,
education provided during the life years of a child plays a very important role because during this phase
their brain develops and many 'wires' are placed. During this early period children learn through games
(HTTP: //www.wisegeek .org / what-is-early-child-education.htm). The educational experience and
relationship that a child has with nutrition can actually affect the child's mental growth in an
extraordinary way. While good early childhood education helps the brain to develop in a healthy way,
improper education or learning without playing, on the other hand, can affect brain development in
different ways.

So the experiences and learning of a child in the early years can support them throughout their lives
(http://ezinearticles.com/?Importance-of-Early-Childhood-Education&id=2672450).

There are some important concerns about the importance of learning about the culture and local
wisdom for PAUD. Children during this phase experience a vital phase in terms of their intellectual,
emotional and social development. Of course, early childhood education is a key element that helps
build a good foundation for the success of children's education. Every child learns habits and forms
patterns that are not easily changed in the following years. If parents and educators can develop
productive early education patterns for children of their age, those children will be on their way to
achieving great educational success (http://ezinearticles.com/?Importance-of-Early -Childhood-
Education & id = 2672450).

In Indonesia, ECE is a field of people involved in helping children aged 0 to 6 years (Indonesian definition
of ECE). People in this field include teachers in kindergartens, child or child care, preschools, and
nurseries. ECE teachers must always improve their knowledge and skills because they are teachers who
will help young people develop their cognitive, affective and psychomotor.

How do ECE children learn culture? Culture is a term that is difficult for early childhood to understand
because it is abstract. To help early childhood know and learn about their own culture, we and also the
ECE teacher must understand that children are not born by knowing many things, a lot of knowledge or
even the difference between red and green, sweet and sour, rough and smooth, cold and heat, or a
number of physical sensations. The natural world is the first curriculum of infants and young children,
and it can only be learned through direct interaction with various things. It is impossible for a child to
learn the difference between sweet and sour, rough and smooth, hot and cold without feeling, touching,
or feeling something.

Piaget stated that children learn primarily from their own spontaneous exploration of various things and
the subsequent reflective abstraction of these activities. This is an indirect argument for the importance
of manipulative material in early childhood education. Vygotsky suggested that children cannot fully
realize their abilities without the help of adults. Vygotsky argues that there are closest development
zones that can only be achieved with guidance and modeling by adults (Elkind, in
http://educationnext.org/much-too-early/).

In conducting research, early students are introduced by several examples of culture that are learned
under some basic themes such as my country, home, food, clothing, or place.

Methodology

This research uses a qualitative approach. In applying a qualitative approach, the researcher decided to
use the case study research method because the research was conducted at a certain time, in a
particular program, and with a certain group of people. Rossman and Rallis (2011 in Chandrawati, 2015)
explain that in conducting a case study, researchers try to understand a larger phenomenon through a
careful examination of certain cases and therefore focus on certain cases. This approach is also used to
explore, explain and understand phenomena using observations and interviews to learn about the
experience (https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/research_ready/qualitative/
when_to_use).

This research was conducted in Ananda Pondok Cabe Kindergarten in September 2016. Because this
study was familiar with kindergarten so researchers could ask teachers in kindergartens to assist in
carrying out research. This study uses these steps as follows:

1. Develop a plan namely Learning Culture, introducing culture to early childhood which is a brief guide
to the need to introduce young people with the culture

2. approaching TK and asking permission to conduct research

3 introducing and guiding plans to teachers who agree to help researchers

4. preparing various things to conduct research on culture to early childhood together with teachers
including preparing media such as videos or images or traditional games such as hide and seek.

5. observe implementation in class, take pictures and record about implementation

6. interview teachers and students to find out what they learned from the application of Learning the
Culture

7. revise plans and develop conclusions

Research questions from this study are:

1. "Why should we teach and introduce ECE children to some Indonesian cultures that can be
understood as local wisdom? "
2. How can we teach and introduce ECE children to some Indonesian cultures that can be understood as
local wisdom? "

Results and Discussion

From observations and interviews with teachers and young students, it was found that:

1. Most of the early students first learned about Indonesia and the culture in their classrooms under the
guidance of their teachers

. 2. Young students do not understand the term" culture "because the meaning of the term is not
concrete so that young students need some cultural examples such as traditional clothing, food, and
houses.

3. Young students also do not understand the traditional word, so the teacher must use other methods
to explain traditional things such as explaining that traditional meaning something that has been used
since time immemorial but is still used to introduce our country that is Indonesia

4. The young students first learned about hiding and seek, children's games, because students never
learned about playing hide and seek, so they also did not know how to follow the rules and how to hide
and search playing the game they just ran and laughed.

5. The teacher must prepare special lesson lessons with several themes such as my country, my
Indonesian food, and clothing, traditional houses to introduce and to inform students about some
examples of Indonesian culture that can be found in some Indonesian songs, dances, behaviors, ethics.
In preparing lesson lessons, the teacher must prepare several media to introduce Indonesian cultures
such as videos about traditional houses, clothing, dances, and weapons from Indonesia as well as
multicultural education, student activities such as drawing Indonesian dresses, singing Indonesian songs
and Indonesian dances

Conclusion

Of this study, researchers can conclude that culture can be learned by early students by playing and
learning about traditional food, traditional games, traditional clothing and traditional houses that can be
found in Indonesia.

Early students and teachers also find that cultural learning is not difficult but teachers must always be
aware and try to introduce some parts of culture to their early students.

It is hoped that knowing culture can help Indonesia's successors be expected to fortify themselves to
revive traditional arts and culture.

References
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Open University of Indonesia, Dissertation, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver BC
Canada
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http://indonesiad.com/all-about-indonesia-indonesia-fast-facts
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http://ezinearticles.com/?Importance-of-Early-Childhood-Education&id=2672450
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http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is- early-childhood-education.htm
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