Integrating Local Wisdom into Moral and Character Education to Foster Students’ Moral Reasoning: An Embedded Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

The decline in moral reasoning abilities among secondary school students poses a serious challenge to character education, particularly as educational modernization has diminished the role of local cultural values as the foundation of moral consciousness. This study aims to analyze the extent to which the integration of Bima local wisdom values influences students’ moral reasoning, to examine differences in levels of moral reasoning based on the degree of value integration and demographic characteristics, and to explore how cultural values are implemented in moral education practices. Employing an embedded mixed-methods design, the study involved 261 students and 15 teachers. Quantitative instruments included the Moral Reasoning Questionnaire and the Local Wisdom Integration Scale–Mbojo, both developed contextually. Construct validity testing using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and reliability analysis (α = 0.87; ω = 0.86) indicated strong psychometric properties. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and observations until saturation was reached, with credibility ensured through triangulation, audit trails, and member checking. Data analysis employed Jamovi version 2.6.44 and a reflective thematic approach. The findings revealed a substantial influence of local wisdom integration on moral reasoning (R² = 0.727; p < .001). However, ANOVA and Mann–Whitney U tests showed no significant differences among student groups based on learning achievement levels, gender, or grade level (p > 0.05), suggesting that cultural value influences were distributed evenly across groups. Thematic analysis further indicated that teachers integrated the maja labo dahu values through ethical reflection, social habituation, and moral exemplification. This study underscores local wisdom as a form of contextual moral ecology that extends universal theories of moral reasoning toward a relational, reflective, and community-rooted moral paradigm.