Indonesian schoolchildren grow up with a motto printed on the education ministry's emblem: tut wuri handayani. It is the last of three lines by Ki Hajar Dewantara, who founded the Taman Siswa schools in 1922 and later became Indonesia's first minister of education.
The full saying, in Javanese: ing ngarsa sung tuladha, ing madya mangun karsa, tut wuri handayani. In front, set the example. In the middle, build the will. From behind, give encouragement.
Researchers at Universitas Gadjah Mada went back to the source. They read Dewantara's own newspaper articles from 1920 to 1960 and compared his ideas with today's research on learning that puts the student at the center. They discussed their findings with 30 master's students in three groups and with two national experts in higher education.
Their finding: a hundred years ago, Dewantara was already teaching what modern education calls student-centered learning, with its focus on real-life context and working together.
The researchers highlight several of his ideas. He treated learners and teachers as partners, in a society with strict hierarchies. He used local festivals and traditional instruments as real learning tools, to sharpen students' senses and their feel for what the community needs. And he encouraged learning by watching, helping students think about their mistakes and grow into independent, responsible people, with role models and real chances to take part.
Sources
Claramita, M., et al. (2016). Revealing "Tut Wuri Handayani": A student-centred learning approach by Ki Hajar Dewantara from the early 20th century. A literature review. Jurnal Pendidikan Kedokteran Indonesia: The Indonesian Journal of Medical Education. https://journal.ugm.ac.id/jpki/article/view/25295