Integration of Lonto Leok Local Wisdom in Strengthening School Organizational Climate: A Sustainable and Innovative Approach in an Indonesian Context

Abstract

This study addresses persistent challenges in schools, including limited transparency, ineffective leadership, unsupportive work environments, weak supervision, low community participation, poor communication, and insufficient collaboration and innovation. It aims to examine how integrating the local wisdom of Lonto Leok can strengthen the school organizational climate and identify innovative strategies to sustain these values within the educational framework. Using a qualitative descriptive design, the research involved principals, teachers, and school committee members from junior secondary schools in Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. The findings reveal that most school community members understand the core values of Lonto Leok and consider their integration essential for enhancing leadership, participatory decision-making, conflict management, human resource development, and communication. To ensure sustainability, the study highlights the need for curriculum integration, extracurricular programs, professional development, collaboration with local communities, and the use of technology. Overall, the research emphasizes that embedding Lonto Leok values – deliberation, mutual respect, collective cooperation, and social sustainability – provides a strong foundation for building an inclusive, collaborative, and harmonious school climate while reinforcing shared commitment to national educational goals. This study contributes by offering a culturally grounded and context-specific model of school organizational climate that extends existing leadership and organizational theories through the integration of indigenous knowledge systems.