LOCAL WISDOM AND READING TRADITION: THE TRADITION OF TAKING TURNS SERVING RICE WRAPS AS A HIDDEN CURRICULUM

Abstract

This study investigates the rotarian nasi bungkus (rotational rice wrap service) tradition at MI Al Imron Islamic Boarding School as a culturally embedded educational practice that integrates local wisdom, Arabic literacy, and hidden curriculum processes. The research is based on the premise that Islamic education operates not only through formal instruction but also through socio-cultural traditions that shape students’ moral and linguistic development in everyday school life. A qualitative case study approach was employed, with data collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation involving teachers, parents, students, and school administrators. The data were analyzed using an interactive model consisting of data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that the tradition functions as a communal educational ecosystem in which parents, teachers, and the school community collectively reinforce values of respect, gratitude, and social responsibility. Arabic literacy emerges through contextual exposure to collective recitations of prayers (du‘a) and religious expressions embedded in the tradition. In addition, the practice operates as a hidden curriculum that supports moral internalization and language familiarity through role modeling, habituation, and affective engagement. The study concludes that local wisdom-based traditions can serve as informal yet effective pedagogical spaces that simultaneously foster moral education and Arabic literacy development within Islamic educational settings