Integrating Local Wisdom into Outcome-Based Curriculum Design: Insights from Indonesian Higher Education

This study explores the integration of local wisdom into outcome-based education (OBE) within Indonesian higher education. Given the increasing global emphasis on OBE, it is crucial to understand how local cultural knowledge can be embedded into the curriculum while maintaining alignment with international standards. The research uses a qualitative approach with a systematic literature review (SLR) method to analyze relevant academic articles, reports, and institutional documents. This approach allows for a comprehensive understanding of how local wisdom has been integrated into OBE frameworks, thereby identifying key challenges and potential benefits. The findings highlight that OBE has been successfully adopted in technical fields, but its integration into nontechnical disciplines remains underdeveloped. Local wisdom was found to enhance curriculum relevance, foster deeper student engagement, and contribute to students’ social responsibility. However, challenges such as institutional resistance, lack of faculty training, and curricular rigidity hinder the widespread adoption of OBE that includes local wisdom. This research contributes to the existing literature by proposing a more flexible OBE model that can incorporate local knowledge without compromising global educational standards. The study offers practical insights for higher education policymakers and educators on how to integrate local wisdom to create a more culturally responsive and meaningful curriculum. Future research should focus on creating specific frameworks for assessing local wisdom within OBE and exploring its application in more technical disciplines.