Public Policy and the Integration of Social Studies Values in Higher Education in Indonesia

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the integration of Social Studies (IPS) values ​​into the Indonesian university curriculum and its influence on the development of students' character and social awareness. The integration of IPS values ​​is considered important because higher education is not only a place to develop students' academic abilities, but also to shape social attitudes, responsibility, tolerance, nationalism, and critical thinking skills in social life. This study uses a literature review research method with a qualitative descriptive approach. Data were obtained from various literature sources, such as scientific journals, research articles, and educational documents related to IPS learning, character education, and the development of the university curriculum. The results of the study indicate that the integration of IPS values ​​can be implemented through various learning activities, such as social case discussions, field observations, community-based projects, social research, and community service activities. This implementation can increase students' social awareness, responsibility, tolerance, nationalism, and critical thinking skills. The results of the discussion show that the integration of IPS values ​​can be implemented effectively through various social-based learning activities in the university curriculum, and this implementation has been proven to contribute positively to improving the character, social awareness, and critical thinking skills of students in Indonesia. The novelty of this research lies in its focus on integrating social studies values ​​in the context of higher education, as previous research has focused more on the application of social studies values ​​at the elementary and secondary school levels. Therefore, this research is expected to serve as a reference in developing a higher education curriculum that is more oriented toward character building and student social awareness.