Character Development in Higher Education Through Seamless Problem-Based Learning Based on Ki Hajar Dewantara's Philosophy

Abstract

As universities are expected to produce students with strong moral principles and social responsibility in addition to great academic abilities, character development has become an important concern in these institutions. The use of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) has been widely implemented to develop higher order thinking and character, but the educational concepts of Ki Hajar Dewantara (KHD) have not been systematically incorporated into modern frameworks. The objective of this study is to strengthen the character of university students by incorporating KHD philosophy into a higher Seamless Problem-Based Learning (Seamless-PBL) model. The study used a quasi-experimental, randomized pretest-posttest-control group design including 84 undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 42) and a control group (n = 42). Character of students was measured using a validated questionnaire that was based on the three main principles of Ki Hajar Dewantara. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to control baseline differences across groups. Descriptive data showed that the control group pretest mean was 49.40 (standard deviation = 13.05) while the experimental group mean was 51.45 (standard deviation = 16.05). After the intervention, the character assessment ratings of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (M = 92.17, SD = 17.11 vs. 60.71, SD = 20.02). Significant impact of the intervention was also confirmed by ANOVA after adjustment for data at pretest (F = 64.110, p < 0.001). Based on these data, it can be concluded that the use of Seamless Problem-Based Learning with the educational ideas of Ki Hajar Dewantara may improve the character development of students compared to traditional education. It gives empirical support to the effect that the combination of innovative teaching techniques with the local educational philosophies is a more realistic alternative for the enhancement of character education in higher education and the development of culturally suitable learning models.