Improving National Literacy Through Public Discussions on the History of the Formulation of Pancasila and the Relevance of Soekarno-Hatta's Thoughts in the Digital Era

Abstract

Low national literacy among the younger generation is one of the challenges faced by Indonesia in the digital era. Advances in information technology have expanded people's access to various sources of information, but they are not always followed by the ability to comprehensively understand the nation's history, Pancasila ideology, and national values. This condition has the potential to cause the spread of hoaxes, intolerance, social polarization, and a weakening of understanding of the nation's identity. Therefore, educational efforts are needed that are able to improve national literacy through a participatory and contextual approach. This Community Service (PKM) activity aims to increase the understanding of students and the general public about the history of the formulation of Pancasila, reintroduce the relevance of the thoughts of Soekarno and Mohammad Hatta, and strengthen national commitment in facing the challenges of the digital era. The activity was carried out in the form of public discussions involving students, students, state civil servants, academics, youth organizations, and the general public. The implementation method consists of preparation, implementation, and evaluation stages. Core activities are carried out through interactive lectures, public discussions, case studies, and question and answer sessions. The evaluation was carried out using pre-test and post-test instruments on 20 respondents who were selected as research samples. The results of the activity showed an increase in participants' understanding of the history of the birth, formulation, and ratification of Pancasila as well as the relevance of Soekarno-Hatta's thought in the life of the nation and state. The level of understanding of participants increased from 75.6% during the pre-test to 81.6% during the post-test. The results  of the paired sample t-test showed a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores (t(19) = -4.016; p = 0.001 < 0.05). This activity has proven to be effective in increasing national literacy, strengthening understanding of Pancasila values, and fostering awareness of participants to implement national values in daily life.