Internalization of Gotong Royong Values through a Social Project-Based Learning Model to Enhance Social Intelligence and Tolerance of Students in Multicultural Junior High Schools

Abstract

The erosion of communal values such as gotong royong (mutual cooperation) in Indonesia’s multicultural society poses a threat to adolescents’ social intelligence and tolerance, particularly in diverse educational settings. This qualitative case study explores how a Social Project-Based Learning (SPBL) model facilitates the internalization of gotong royong values and consequently improves social intelligence and tolerance among eighth-grade students in a multicultural public junior high school in Surabaya, Indonesia. Data were collected over one semester through participant observation, semi-structured interviews with 30 students, two teacher facilitators, and the school principal, as well as document analysis of student reflective journals and project artifacts. Thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes: (1) internalization of gotong royong through collective action, shared responsibility, and voluntary altruism; (2) enhancement of social intelligence manifested in empathic communication, social awareness, and conflict management; and (3) strengthening of tolerance evidenced by religious acceptance, cultural respect, and open intergroup dialogue. The SPBL model operated as a situated learning ecosystem where collaborative community service projects—such as interfaith clean-up drives and multicultural festivals—activated authentic social interactions, reciprocal scaffolding, and affective engagement. Findings indicate that gotong royong values were not merely taught but lived, transforming students’ predisposition toward difference and equipping them with durable interpersonal competencies. The study recommends integrating SPBL into character and civic education curricula across Indonesia’s pluralistic schools