PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

East Kalimantan, recognised for its rich oral traditions, is presently facing challenges associated with modernisation. It is essential to safeguard the cultural identity and historical narrative of this area through educational settings. The primary objective of this research is to explore the views of educators concerning the incorporation of East Kalimantan's oral traditions in their teaching practices. Adopting a phenomenological research design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, complemented by a comprehensive review of relevant literature. Fourteen teachers and five lecturers as research participants were recruited through purposive sampling. The responses were categorised to uncover similarities, which facilitated the emergence of a central theme: the strategies for incorporating the oral traditions of East Kalimantan into education. The school teachers developed learning activities that integrated traditional songs, games, storytelling, and creative writing derived from diverse oral traditions in East Kalimantan. Concurrently, the university lecturers employed instructional practices such as experiential and collaborative learning to weave oral traditions into their teaching. The values of local wisdom are actively internalised in the cultivation of character education and the enhancement of cultural pride, which collectively foster a sense of belonging to one's community. The findings underscore the value of sustained interaction with oral traditions at all educational levels as a means of facilitating cultural preservation and enhancing learning experiences.