Abstract

This study aims to describe the culture and local potential in Pacitan, East Java, as well as the implementation of local content in primary schools in the area, and some factors that support and hinder their implementation. This research is a qualitative case study. There were five primary schools used as samples obtained through purposive sampling. Every school brought five subjects used informants to obtain the primary data: a principal, a teacher, a school committee, and two students. The methods used were questionnaire, interview, document analysis, and forum group discussion (FGD). The data was analyzed through exploratory research by using interactive model analysis. The results are; (1) Pacitan has much wealth; natural potential, community potential, social and cultural environment and arts; (2) the majority of primary schools in Pacitan use the Javanese language as local content. It is based on the potential and local culture of Pacitan. There are no specific subjects taught at a given time; they are only integrated in a contextual learning and thematically in other subjects; (3) There were some positive supports in the form of a guarantee policy or regulation (the government), moral and material support (school committee, community, non-governmental organizations), as well as school commitments. However, in practice, it was hampered by several factors, namely limited material, knowledge, and skills of the teachers; the constraints in the implementation of the methodology related to the management of time and means, source of funds,  monitoring and evaluation, and lack of school infrastructure.

Key words: Curriculum implementation, local content, primary school.