Local Wisdom Islamic Education as a Cultural Bridge Mechanism For Intercultural Sensitivity In Vocational Tourism Schools
This multi-site qualitative study demonstrates that managing Islamic Religious Education through local wisdom functions as an effective cultural bridge mechanism for fostering intercultural sensitivity in vocational tourism schools by integrating indigenous Sasak values into curriculum, governance, and pedagogy, with outcomes varying across distinct ecological and pedagogical contexts.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
Imagine you are trying to teach a group of future hotel workers how to be kind and respectful to guests from all over the world. Usually, schools might just hand out a textbook on "Global Etiquette" or "World Religions." But this paper argues that the best way to teach this isn't through a generic manual; it's by using the local neighborhood's own wisdom as the bridge.
Here is a simple breakdown of what the researchers found, using everyday analogies:
The Big Idea: The "Local Bridge"
The researchers looked at three different vocational schools in West Lombok, Indonesia. They wanted to see how Islamic Religious Education (IRE) could help students become sensitive to different cultures.
Instead of treating local culture (the Sasak culture) as just a "decoration" or a side note, these schools used it as the foundation. Think of it like building a house:
- Old Way: Build a standard house and glue some local flowers to the roof.
- This Study's Way: Build the house out of local bricks and wood, so the structure itself is naturally strong and fits the landscape.
They found that when teachers mixed Islamic values with local Sasak wisdom, it created a "cultural bridge" that helped students connect their faith with the real world of tourism.
The Three Different "Training Camps"
The researchers didn't just look at one school; they compared three, and each one was like a different training camp with its own unique style. The "ecology" (the environment) of the school determined how the students learned.
1. The "Action Camp" (SMKN 1 Batulayar)
- The Setting: This school is right next to a busy international tourist area.
- The Method: Learning by Doing.
- The Analogy: Imagine learning to swim by jumping into the ocean with a life vest, rather than sitting in a classroom reading about water.
- What Happened: Students went on internships and interacted directly with international tourists. They learned to adapt their behavior on the spot.
- The Result: Students became Behavioral Chameleons. They could quickly change their actions to fit the situation and handle international guests smoothly.
2. The "Heart Camp" (SMKN 1 Lingsar)
- The Setting: This school is in a historic area where Muslims and Hindus have lived together for centuries.
- The Method: Learning by Feeling and Talking.
- The Analogy: Imagine a family dinner where everyone shares stories and learns to understand each other's feelings over a meal.
- What Happened: Students participated in local festivals (like the Perang Topat rice cake war) and had deep conversations with people of different faiths.
- The Result: Students developed Affective Empathy. They didn't just know how to act; they genuinely felt for others and appreciated differences with their hearts.
3. The "Thinking Camp" (SMKN 1 Gerung)
- The Setting: This school is in a more standard area with less direct daily contact with diverse tourists.
- The Method: Learning by Solving Puzzles.
- The Analogy: Imagine a debate club or a courtroom where you analyze hypothetical scenarios to figure out the right thing to do.
- What Happened: Since they didn't have as many real tourists to meet, teachers used case studies and ethical dilemmas. They asked, "If a tourist did X, what would the Islamic and Sasak values say we should do?"
- The Result: Students became Ethical Analysts. They could think critically and reason through complex cultural problems, even if they hadn't experienced them personally yet.
The Secret Sauce: How They Did It
The paper identifies six "mechanisms" (or tools) the schools used to make this work. Think of these as the ingredients in a recipe:
- Mapping the Values: They didn't just "add" local culture. They wove it into the lesson plans like a secret ingredient, showing how local rules (like being polite) are actually the same as religious rules.
- The Village Council: They didn't let the school decide everything alone. They invited local leaders, hotel managers, and community elders to help plan the lessons. It was a team effort.
- Real-World Design: The lessons were built around the actual environment. If you are in a tourist town, you learn by serving tourists. If you are in a religious village, you learn by talking to neighbors.
- Reflection Time: After doing things, students had to stop and think: "How did that make me feel? What did I learn?" This turned a simple experience into a deep lesson.
- Heart-Based Grading: They didn't just give grades for memorizing facts. They graded students on how well they treated people, their patience, and their ability to work together.
- Different Paths: They realized that one size doesn't fit all. The "Action Camp" produced adaptors, the "Heart Camp" produced empathizers, and the "Thinking Camp" produced thinkers. All were successful, just in different ways.
The Bottom Line
The main takeaway is that intercultural sensitivity isn't a single skill you can teach the same way to everyone.
If you try to teach a student in a quiet village to act like a student in a busy airport, it won't work. But if you use the local wisdom of that specific village as the bridge, you can build a strong, culturally sensitive person. The schools proved that by mixing their local culture with their religious education, they created a powerful system that prepared students for the real world in the way that made the most sense for their specific neighborhood.
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