Social Reconstruction of Mutual Cooperation Values in Junior High Schools of Central Mamuju

Abstract

Mutual cooperation (gotong royong) is a core communal value inherited from Indonesian local wisdom, yet its practice among adolescents is increasingly weakened by individualism, digital distraction, and the erosion of communal habits in daily school life. This study examines how mutual cooperation values are socially reconstructed within junior high schools in Central Mamuju Regency, West Sulawesi. Using a qualitative case study design, data were collected through in-depth interviews with teachers, students, and school principals, non-participant classroom and extracurricular observation, and document analysis across three public junior high schools. Data were analyzed thematically following the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, supported by source and method triangulation. The findings reveal that social reconstruction of mutual cooperation occurs through three interrelated mechanisms: (1) the revitalization of local Mandarese cultural expressions such as sipatuo-sipatokkong and mesa kada di ai tuo, mesa kada di patuo within civic and cultural learning; (2) structured school habituation programs, including communal cleaning (kerja bakti), classroom duty rosters (piket), and collaborative project-based learning; and (3) partnership between schools, families, and local customary leaders that reframes cooperation as a shared moral responsibility rather than an imposed obligation. Nevertheless, reconstruction efforts are constrained by unequal teacher commitment, limited curricular time, and competing individualistic norms reinforced by social media. The study concludes that sustainable reconstruction of mutual cooperation values requires the deliberate integration of local wisdom into a hidden and formal curriculum, consistent habituation, and continuous collaboration among school, family, and community actors.