Reconstructing Multicultural Awareness Through Local Transmigration Narratives

Abstract

Indonesia’s long history of cultural diversity has shaped a complex social landscape where education plays a crucial role in fostering mutual understanding and respect among different ethnic groups. However, history learning in schools often remains dominated by national narratives, leaving local experiences underrepresented. Local transmigration stories rooted in cooperation, adaptation, and intercultural encounters offer rich resources for developing multicultural awareness among students. This study explores how these local transmigration narratives can be used to reconstruct students’ multicultural awareness through the framework of Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT). Employing a qualitative phenomenological approach, data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, and classroom observations involving history teachers and senior high school students in Metro City, Indonesia. The findings reveal that incorporating local transmigration narratives into history lessons enables students to reflect on the values of tolerance, empathy, and social cohesion within their own community context. Learning through culturally relevant content allows students to connect academic knowledge with their lived experiences, thereby transforming their perspectives on cultural diversity. Teachers serve as facilitators who bridge local heritage and classroom discourse. The study concludes that reconstructing multicultural awareness through local history not only enriches civic and cultural education but also strengthens inclusive and transformative learning practices. It recommends integrating local narratives more systematically into history curricula to nurture multicultural competence and intercultural harmony.