Reclaiming indigenous learning in adult education: An ethno-andragogical perspective from the traditional art community

Ari Putra; Retno Dwi Lestari

doi:10.3384/rela.2000-7426.6125

Authors

Ari Putra Nonformal Education, University of Bengkulu https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5563-9627
Retno Dwi Lestari Community Education, Faculty of Education, State University of Jakarta

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3384/rela.2000-7426.6125

Keywords:

ethno-andragogy, adult learning, cultural learning, experiential learning, kuda kepang

Abstract

This study explores how cultural practices function as informal learning environments for adults, focusing on a kuda kepang community in Pal Tiga Puluh village, North Bengkulu, Indonesia. It examines how local knowledge, adult learning, and cultural continuity are connected through participation in traditional performance. Using a qualitative case study, data were collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with community members. Thematic analysis identified four interrelated learning domains: embodied practice, oral transmission, communal participation, and spiritual experience. These domains were associated with the development of technical skills, cultural identity, social cohesion, and perceived emotional empowerment. The findings suggest that the sanggar functions as a community-based learning environment in which knowledge is acquired through observation, repetition, dialogue, ritual participation, and intergenerational relationships. The study contributes to adult education by showing how culturally situated learning can broaden predominantly individual and cognitive understandings of adult learning.

Author Biographies

Ari Putra, Nonformal Education, University of Bengkulu

Ari Putra is a lecturer in the Nonformal Education Study Program at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, University of Bengkulu. His research focuses on community empowerment, nonformal and informal education, ethno-andragogy, and competency-based learning development.

Retno Dwi Lestari, Community Education, Faculty of Education, State University of Jakarta

Retno Dwi Lestari is lecturer at State University of Jakarta.

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