Investigating the Growth of Nationalism Character in Indonesian Elementary School Students: A Case Study

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2703

Keywords:

character, civic education, growth modelling, nationalism, patriotism, Character nationalism, elementary school, multicultural learning environments

Abstract

Nationalism character is vital in fostering national identity, patriotism, and civic responsibility among students. This study applied Latent Growth Modeling (LGM) to examine the development of students’ nationalism during a four-session educational intervention focused on promoting nationalism through classroom discussions, activities, and multimedia resources. Participants included 131 elementary school students from Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The study evaluated changes in students’ knowledge and attitudes toward nationalism, specifically targeting respect for national symbols, national heroes, and cultural diversity. Findings revealed a significant overall increase in nationalism character, with a mean growth rate of 20.305 (p < 0.001) on a 4-point Likert scale. The dimension of “Respecting National Symbols” showed the highest improvement (partial η² = 0.998), underscoring the intervention’s strong effect on emotional and cognitive engagement with national symbols. Variations in individual growth trajectories were also observed, highlighting the need for personalized learning approaches. This research extends the literature by applying LGM to nationalism education and suggests that adaptive, individualized instruction is essential for strengthening nationalism education in contemporary, multicultural learning environments.

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Author Biographies

Agung Prihatmojo, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta

Agung Prihatmojo, a doctoral candidate at the Department of Primary Education, State University of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He is a lecturer in Primary Education at the University of Muhammadiyah Kotabumi, Lampung, Indonesia. His research interests are centered on character education, nationalism learning strategies, pedagogy in elementary schools, learning local wisdom, and cultural literacy.

Emmanuel Kus Eddy Sartono, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta

Prof. Dr. Emmanuel Kus Eddy Sartono, a Professor in the field of Pancasila and Citizenship Education at the Department of Primary Education, Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia. His research interests are centered on cultural diversity, multiculturalism, character education, and teaching in elementary schools.

Lutfi Wibawa, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta

Dr. Lutfi Wibawa, an Associate Professor at the Department of Non-Formal Education, Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia. His research interests are centered on out-of-school education, adult education, and self-directed learning.

Amalia Rizki Ardiansyah, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta

Amalia Rizki Ardiansyah, a doctoral candidate at the Department of Primary Education, State University of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Her research interests are centered on culture-integrated learning, multicultural education, and teaching in elementary schools.

Elmiati Elmiati, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta

Elmiati, a doctoral candidate at the Department of Language Education Science, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Her research interests are centered on ethnolinguistics and local wisdom, language education and nationalism, sociolinguistics, bilingualism, and linguistic theory. She focuses on Indonesian education in elementary schools.

Maharromiyati Maharromiyati, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta

Maharromiyati, a doctoral candidate at the Department of Educational Sciences, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Her research interests are centered on character education, teaching in elementary schools, and local wisdom in education. She is an active elementary school teacher conducting research.

Septiyati Purwandari, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta

Septiyati Purwandari, a doctoral candidate at the Department of Primary Education, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Her research interests are centered on the national curriculum, teaching in elementary schools, character education, and parental involvement. 

Zaki Al Fuad

Zaki Al Fuad, a doctoral candidate at the Department of Primary Education, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia. His research interests are centered on teaching in elementary schools, Indonesian language learning strategies, cultural diversity, and local wisdom. 

Deni Puji Hartono

Deni Puji Hartono, a doctoral candidate at the Department of Primary Education, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta. His research interests are centered on teaching in elementary schools, social studies education, social studies learning strategies, and character education for students.

Hatta Yarid

Hatta Yarid, a doctoral candidate at the Department of Primary Education, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia. His research interests are centered on teaching strategies, character education, cultural education, and teaching in elementary schools.

Elis Susanti

Elis Susanti, a lecturer at Universitas Muhammadiyah Kotabumi, Indonesia. Her research interests are centered on language learning, vocabulary, and grammar.

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Published

2026-02-02

How to Cite

Prihatmojo, A., Sartono, E. K. E., Wibawa, L., Ardiansyah, A. R., Elmiati, E., Maharromiyati, M., … Susanti, E. (2026). Investigating the Growth of Nationalism Character in Indonesian Elementary School Students: A Case Study. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 13(1), 166–184. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2703

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Vol. 13 No. 1: 2026

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Copyright (c) 2026 Agung Prihatmojo, Emmanuel Kus Eddy Sartono, Lutfi Wibawa, Amalia Rizki Ardiansyah, Elmiati Elmiati, Maharromiyati Maharromiyati, Septiyati Purwandari, Zaki Al Fuad, Deni Puji Hartono, Hatta Yarid, Elis Susanti

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