The Religious Values of Congklak as the Basis for Character Education Strategies in Elementary Schools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56916/jirpe.v5i1.2886Keywords:
Congklak, religious values, character education, traditional games, elementary schoolAbstract
The limited integration of traditional games as systematic strategies for religious character education in elementary schools indicates a gap between local cultural heritage potential and classroom practices. Congklak, though familiar to Indonesian children, has rarely been examined as a medium for embedding religious values within character education strategies. This study identifies religious values embedded in congklak and examines their relevance as foundations for developing religious character education strategies in elementary schools. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed, with data collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with an academic expert and cultural practitioner, complemented by literature review. Thematic analysis identified recurring values, which were triangulated across sources to ensure credibility. Five core religious values were identified: honesty (moving seeds accurately without supervision), patience (turn-taking and accepting outcomes), empathy (comforting peers), sportsmanship (accepting victory and defeat with humility), and gratitude (acknowledging outcomes). These values emerge naturally through game mechanics and player interactions rather than explicit instruction. Congklak functions as a culturally grounded, experiential medium for internalizing religious values. When integrated into curriculum with guided reflection, it offers elementary teachers a contextual, engaging pedagogical strategy for religious character development. Future research should examine classroom implementation effectiveness through empirical longitudinal studies.
References
Battiste, M. (2002). Indigenous knowledge and pedagogy in First Nations education: A literature review with recommendations. National Working Group on Education and the Minister of Indian Affairs. https://www.nipissingu.ca/sites/default/files/2018-06/Indigenous%20Knowledge%20and%20Pedagogy%20.pdf
Berkowitz, M. W., & Bier, M. C. (2007). What works in character education. Journal of Research in Character Education, 5(1), 29–48. https://doi.org/10.1108/CE-02-2007-0002
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE Publications.
Carter, N., Bryant-Lukosius, D., DiCenso, A., Blythe, J., & Neville, A. J. (2014). The use of triangulation in qualitative research. Oncology Nursing Forum, 41(5), 545–547. https://doi.org/10.1188/14.ONF.545-547
Castagno, A. E., & Brayboy, B. M. J. (2008). Culturally responsive schooling for Indigenous youth: A review of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 78(4), 941–993. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654308323036
Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Dei, G. J. S. (2000). Rethinking the role of Indigenous knowledges in the academy. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 4(2), 111–132. https://doi.org/10.1080/136031100284849
Dempsey, P. (2016). The tearoom of despair: Traditional games of the Philippines. Lulu Press.
Denzin, N. K. (1978). The research act: A theoretical introduction to sociological methods (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
DiCicco-Bloom, B., & Crabtree, B. F. (2006). The qualitative research interview. Medical Education, 40(4), 314–321. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2929.2006.02418.x
Dubnewick, M., Hopper, T., Spence, J. C., & McHugh, T. L. F. (2018). “There’sa cultural pride through our games”: Enhancing the sport experiences of Indigenous youth in Canada through participation in traditional games. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 42(4), 207-226. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193723518758456
Edwards, C., Gandini, L., & Forman, G. (Eds.). (2011). The hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation (3rd ed.). Praeger.
Gay, G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2), 106–116. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487102053002003
Grusec, J. E., & Goodnow, J. J. (1994). Impact of parental discipline methods on the child's internalization of values: A reconceptualization of current points of view. Developmental Psychology, 30(1), 4–19. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.30.1.4
Hanifa, S., Hudi, I., Zendrato, B., Wahyuni, A. D., Jafrianti, W., Aulia, Z., & Qurbani, A. (2022). Kearifan lokal melalui permainan congklak sebagai upaya penguatan identitas nasional di sekolah dasar. JIMU: Jurnal Ilmiah Multidisipliner, 3(3), 1914–1923. https://ojs.smkmerahputih.com/index.php/jimu/article/view/970
Hastiana, D., & Daliman, D. (2023). Perkembangan Kognitif Usia Pra Operasional dalam Berbagai Perspektif Permainan Tradisional. JIIP-Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Pendidikan, 6(6), 4136-4141. https://doi.org/10.54371/jiip.v6i6.1750
Helvana, N., & Hidayat, S. (2020). Permainan tradisional untuk menumbuhkan karakter anak. PEDADIDAKTIKA: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Guru Sekolah Dasar, 7(2), 253-260. https://doi.org/10.17509/pedadidaktika.v7i2.25623
Kiyala, J. C. K., Mlambo, P. S., & Hemson, C. M. (2024). Indaba and Violence Prevention in Educational Institutions: Perspectives from South Africa. In Climate Change and Socio-political Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Anthropocene: Perspectives from Peace Ecology and Sustainable Development (pp. 623-644). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48375-2_25
Kochanska, G. (1997). Multiple pathways to conscience for children with different temperaments: From toddlerhood to age 5. Developmental Psychology, 33(2), 228–240. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.33.2.228
Kochanska, G. (2002). Committed compliance, moral self, and internalization: A mediational model. Developmental Psychology, 38(3), 339–351. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.38.3.339
Kochanska, G., Koenig, J. L., Barry, R. A., Kim, S., & Yoon, J. E. (2010). Children's conscience during toddler and preschool years, moral self, and a competent, adaptive developmental trajectory. Developmental Psychology, 46(5), 1320–1332. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020381
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice-Hall.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications.
Loloagin, G., Rantung, D. A., & Naibaho, L. (2023). Implementasi pendidikan karakter menurut perspektif Thomas Lickona ditinjau dari peran pendidik. Journal on Education, 5(3), 6012–6022. https://jonedu.org/index.php/joe/article/view/1365
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Montessori, M. (1964). The Montessori method. Schocken Books.
Murray, H. J. R. (1952). A history of board-games other than chess. Oxford University Press.
Nurani, S., Zaenullloh, M. R., & Fauzi, A. A. (2025). Implementasi Pendidikan Karakter Anak Usia Dini Melalui Metode Bermain Peran Di Tk Asma Nadia. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam Anak Usia Dini, 2(1), 91-100. https://doi.org/10.62495/jpiaud.v2i1.63
Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., & Hoagwood, K. (2015). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(5), 533–544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y
Patton, M. Q. (1999). Enhancing the quality and credibility of qualitative analysis. Health Services Research, 34(5 Pt 2), 1189–1208.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Perdima, F. E., & Kristiawan, M. (2021). Nilai-nilai karakter dalam permainan tradisional Hadang di sekolah dasar. Jurnal Basicedu, 5(2), 354–367. https://doi.org/10.31004/basicedu.v5i6.1640
Sandelowski, M. (2000). Whatever happened to qualitative description? Research in Nursing & Health, 23(4), 334–340. https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-240X(200008)23:4<334::AID-NUR9>3.0.CO;2-G
Sholikin, M., Fajrie, N., & Ismaya, E. A. (2022). Nilai karakter anak dalam permainan tradisional Gobak Sodor dan Egrang. Jurnal Educatio FKIP UNMA, 8(1), 112–123. https://doi.org/10.31949/educatio.v8i3.3035
Smetana, J. G. (1997). Parenting and the development of social knowledge reconceptualized: A social domain analysis. In J. E. Grusec & L. Kuczynski (Eds.), Parenting and children's internalization of values: A handbook of contemporary theory (pp. 162–192). John Wiley & Sons. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1997-36410-006
Smetana, J. G. (2006). Social-cognitive domain theory: Consistencies and variations in children's moral and social judgments. In M. Killen & J. G. Smetana (Eds.), Handbook of moral development (pp. 119–153). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2005-11748-005
Srikandi, S., Suardana, I. M., & Sulthoni, S. (2020). Membentuk karakter anak usia dini melalui permainan tradisional . Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan. https://doi.org/10.17977/jptpp.v5i12.14364
St. Charles, J., & Costantino, M. (2000). Reading and the Native American learner: Research report. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
Taber, K. S. (2020). Mediated learning leading development: The social development theory of Lev Vygotsky. In B. Akpan & T. Kennedy (Eds.), Science education in theory and practice: An introductory guide to learning theory (pp. 277–291). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43620-9_19
Tongco, M. D. C. (2007). Purposive sampling as a tool for informant selection. Ethnobotany Research and Applications, 5, 147–158. https://doi.org/10.17348/era.5.0.147-158
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Fajar Nugraha, Cece Rakhmat, Sofyan Sauri, Encep Syarief Nurdin
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
