Page 645 - Proceedings Collega2023

Introduction

Local wisdom is “something that is specifically related to a particular culture, and it reflects the
way of life of a particular society” (Naryatmojo, 2019, p. 384). Local wisdom that focuses on cultural values
can be found in various forms such as songs, wise words, proverbs, advice, and other things that are
related to the activities of a particular society (Sambeka & Sekeh,2019; Setiyadi, 2013). For children, songs
have been used for a long time to educate and persuade them to act in the manner expected by the society
they are in. Children's songs often hold a special place in society as they are played both by parents and
teachers not just to educate but also to entertain and build the characters of young children (Ariefa &
Isnanb, 2020; Kim & Kim, 2015). In the communities of Minang and Jawa in Indonesia for example,
children’s songs are used to deliver the local wisdom that contains religious, social, and cultural values.
With the advancement of technology today, there are numerous children’s songs that are accessible to all.
As children’s songs are always said to play a significant role in teaching cultural values, conveying morals
lessons, preserving traditions, promoting language development among children, and developing a sense
of identity and pride in one’s heritage, a study on the use of Malay and non-Malay children’s songs among
Malaysian families is conducted to determine if the purpose of imparting local wisdom still remains to be
in the hearts of Malaysian society.

Literature Review

Past studies such as by Desyandri (2017); Kusumadinata and Juliansyah (2023); Putrajip, Astuti and
Fitrianto (2019); Setiyadi (2013); Simeon, & Pugh-Kitingan (2021) have focused on local wisdom and the
use of traditional songs in different culture and societies. A study by Desyandri (2017) analyzed the values
of local Minangkabau wisdom contained in the song “Kampuang nan Jauah di Mato”. The lyrics of the song
include the educational values and advice that should be followed and practiced by the Minang people
such as peace and justice, politeness, togetherness, and tolerance. In another study, Putrajip, Astuti, and
Fitrianto (2019) identified the values of local wisdom in Javanese dolanan or game songs. Seven Javanese
game songs or children’s songs were analysed to see the local wisdom values that can be used in the world
of education revealing that Javanese game songs contain educational morals values such as respect for
older people, love, care, cooperation, being humble, and the importance of togetherness. In other
investigations, religious values such as the love for God and other creatures of God are delivered in
children’s songs. These values of local wisdom contained in children’s songs are integrated into their
education to build a strong identity for the children. Kusumadinata and Juliansyah (2023) observe the
meanings from the perspective of local wisdom in the work of Lengsir Wengi songs and reported that
Lengsir Wengi is part of the local wisdom of the Javanese people that contains religious, social, and cultural
significance where it especially teaches the values of Islam.

As time passes, modernization has undoubtedly influenced the evolution of the use of children's
songs. It is often reported that children’s songs are now created and used for many other different reasons
such as to teach language and to enhance growth and development. Shehadeh and Farrah (2016)
investigated the effect of using children’s songs in developing elementary graders’ vocabulary and
pronunciation, and it was discovered that there was an improvement in their vocabulary and
pronunciation due to the use of songs in learning. Teachers also showed positive attitudes towards the use

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