Intergenerational learning as culturally grounded lifelong education: a case study of the Tengger Indigenous community

Abstract

This study investigates how intergenerational learning (IGL) operates as a culturally grounded form of lifelong learning within Tengger Indigenous community of Ngadisari Village, Indonesia. In response to pressures of globalisation, tourism, and digitalisation, research explores how elders, families, youth collaboratively sustain ritual traditions, moral values, cultural identity. Using a qualitative instrumental case study, research draws on interviews, observations of major ceremonies, and analysis of community documents involving purposively selected participants. Data were examined thematically through combined perspectives of Social Learning Theory, Sociocultural Theory, and Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and cultural capital. Findings show that IGL is a reciprocal and adaptive process. Elders maintain ritual authority and moral guidance, while younger members contribute digital literacy and reinterpret traditions for broader audiences. Community rituals such as Kasada and Karo, function as experiential learning spaces where youth gradually transition from observers to active participants. Digital documentation enhances cultural outreach but does not replace spiritual meaning. Overall, the study reveals that IGL strengthens cultural resilience by linking everyday practices, communal relationships, and local institutions. It concludes that intergenerational learning is an essential component of Indigenous lifelong learning systems and should be recognised within broader educational policies that value community-based and culturally responsive learning environments.