Developing Scientific Character through Empowerment of Shame Culture in Higher Education

Abstract

The advancement of digital era has contributed in developing the quality of human resources, accelerating the process of searching knowledge, and affecting demographic and social value aspects. This change requires the Islamic education curriculum to adjust with the challenges and needs in the digital era, especially in the development of scientific character. Scientific character is manifestation of physical and psychological scientific work ethos in creating and implementing science, technology, and art. This study aims to investigate how scientific work ethos can be empowered through fostering shame attitude. This research uses descriptive-qualitative approach and the data were collected by using interviews and questionnaires. To support data analysis, data triangulation was used. The samples were the students of Islamic Education Study Program of Universitas Negeri Jakarta, who were selected by sampling quota technique. The research results show that, in developing the scientific character through shame culture, there are reinforcing components or stimuli that help the process. These reinforcements or stimuli are religious doctrine, reward, and punishment. These components serve as a drive or motive for certain thoughts or actions related to shame and are religiously or socially influenced. The empowerment and habituation aspects that can be used to develop scientific character are 1) the factors which trigger shame in academic activities 2) the factors that maintain the shame culture in relation to God, other people and self, 3) the function of shame culture to motivate positive behaviors, and 4) the function of shame or fear as a control and filter in creating and implementing science, technology, and arts.