Fostering Historical Thinking and Reasoning through Hybrid Dialogue: Integrating Javanese Philosophy into History Education

Learning in history classes is often monological, with students often being passive recipients of information. The aim of this research was to propose a hybrid dialogue approach that combines monological and dialogical elements based on local cultural values, such as the Jalma Kang Utama philosophy in Yogyakarta, to improve students’ historical thinking and reasoning (HTR) abilities. This study used a multi-case qualitative methodology with purposive sampling involving 108 participants from three high school history classes (3 history teachers and 105 students) in Yogyakarta that became a pilot project for the implementation of Specialised Kejogjaan Education (Pendidikan Khas Kejogjaan: PKJ). Classroom observations were conducted for 270 minutes in three sessions, with video recordings used to analyze interactions through Epstein’s socio-cultural approach. The focus was on dialogic interactions to connect historical facts with Javanese philosophical values. The results show that the hybrid dialogue approach improved student engagement and HTR abilities. Dialogical interaction helped students more easily relate historical facts to a broader cultural and ethical context, particularly Javanese philosophy in HTR. Teachers who use this method succeed in creating an inclusive learning environment where students are actively involved in learning history. In conclusion, this study provides a practical model for integrating local cultural values into history education. It offers valuable insights to foster critical and reflective thinking skills among students in diverse cultural contexts. This research contributes to improving history education in a diverse cultural context such as Indonesia.