Zulfikarni Zulfikarni, Harris Effendi Thahar, Yenni Hayati
The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the character values that are contained in the Minangkabau proverbs, or so-called papatah-petitih. This research addressed the increasing demand for character education programs, relevant to the culture in Indonesia, by examining values in a particular and culturally appropriate philosophical way of oral traditions. This study was descriptive and qualitative, using content analysis of the sourcebook of Minangkabau papatah-petitih. The study identified 10 character values: thinking (hiduik Baraka), virtue (hiduik babudi), tolerance (hiduik batenggang), faithfulness (taguah), fairness (berlaku adil), being economical and cheerful (hemat dan cermat), being careful and alert (hati-hati dan waspada), wisdom and prudence (arif dan bijaksana), diligence (rajin), and humility (rendah hati). This research concluded that Minangkabau papatah-petitih are more than just cultural assets; they are available and authentic instruments of ethical education that reinforce educational curricula. The study provided preliminary documentation on the implementation of local wisdom to be used in national education. © 2026 Zulfikarni, Thahar, and Hayati.
Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia
