TRANSFORMING ALAS LOCAL WISDOM INTO LEGAL EDUCATION: STRENGTHENING CULTURAL PRESERVATION AND YOUTH CHARACTER

Abstract

Local wisdom is recognized as a potential educational resource, yet limited empirical research has examined how culturally embedded values can be systematically transformed into contextual legal education within indigenous communities in Indonesia. This study investigates the local wisdom of the Alas people in Southeast Aceh and examines how culturally embedded values may be interpreted and transformed into resources for legal education. Using a qualitative descriptive-interpretive design, the study involved 20 purposively selected informants comprising traditional leaders, religious figures, and educators with knowledge of Alas culture, customary norms, social practices, and their educational relevance. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation and analyzed through data condensation, data display, conclusion drawing and verification, thematic analysis, and theoretical interpretation. The findings identified eight interrelated values relevant to legal education: responsibility, deliberation, solidarity, respect, adherence to social norms, justice, mutual cooperation, and social responsibility. The analysis further indicates that these values can be conceptually transformed through four interconnected stages: identification, interpretation, reconstruction, and integration. The study proposes this framework as a contextually grounded mechanism connecting local wisdom, legal culture, and legal education. Its contribution lies in advancing local wisdom from cultural content toward a process of critical interpretation and pedagogical reconstruction.