Journal of General Education and Humanities Vol.
No.
February 2026, pp.
293 Ae 301, https://doi.
org/10.
58421/gehu.
ISSN 2963-7147
The Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum as an Educational Tourism Site and a Local Historical Resource in South Sumatra Tomy Wijaya1.
Fatimah Alauwiyah2.
Hudaidah3.
Muhammad Reza Pahlevi4.
Alif
Bahtiar Pamulaan5
1,2,3,4,5
Sriwijaya University.
Palembang.
Indonesia
Article Info
ABSTRACT
Article history:
This research is motivated by the underutilization of the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum as an educational tourism site and a resource for local historical education, despite its substantial collections on the Palembang Darussalam Sultanate, colonialism, and South Sumatran culture.
This study aims to clarify the use of the museum as an educational tour, analyze its role as a repository of local historical knowledge, and identify challenges and opportunities for its improvement within the context of history education in schools.
The study employed a descriptive qualitative methodology, using data collection techniques including observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation, and analyzed using the Miles and Huberman The findings reveal that the SMB II Museum has implemented educational tours through guided tours, cultural workshops, and thematic exhibitions that provide contextual learning experiences for students.
Nonetheless, the museum's usage has been subpar due to insufficient facilities, a lack of innovative collection display, limited engagement from schools, and poor communication between the museum and educational institutions.
These findings highlight the imperative of modernizing educational media, improving collaboration between museums and schools, and securing local government support to ensure the museum functions effectively as a center for local history education.
Received 2025-12-03 Revised 2025-12-18 Accepted 2025-12-22 Keywords:
Contextual Learning.
Educational Tourism.
Historical Learning Resource.
Local History.
Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum.
This is an open-access article under the CC BY-SA license.
Corresponding Author:
Fatimah Alauwiyah Faculty of Teacher Training and Education.
History Education.
Sriwijaya University Email: fatimahalau21@gmail.
INTRODUCTION
Museums are cultural institutions that serve a strategic role in documenting, preserving, and disseminating knowledge about a society's history and cultural heritage .
In contemporary education, museums are regarded not merely as repositories for artifacts but also as educational resources that offer direct learning experiences through tangible objects .
This paradigm shift establishes museums as significant collaborators in Journal homepage: https://journal-gehu.
com/index.
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58421/gehu.
education, especially in cultivating historical thinking skills, cultural appreciation, and students' comprehension of past dynamics.
The use of museums for educational tours is expanding in line with the growing demand for a more contextual, interactive, and student-centered pedagogical approach.
Educational tours offer students the chance to interact directly with historical artifacts through observation, exploration, and discussion in an authentic learning setting .
This concept corresponds with the experiential learning paradigm, which prioritizes experience as the foundation for cultivating understanding.
In the realm of history education, educational tours enhance engagement in learning and reinforce the link between historical events and the socio-cultural realities students encounter .
Studying local history is pivotal in fortifying identity, character, and a sense of belonging to a community.
Through the examination of local history, students understand that national history is shaped by a succession of events that occurred across diverse regions, including South Sumatra .
Local artifacts and documentation, which are concrete educational resources, enhance the relevance and significance of the learning process.
The incorporation of local history into the curriculum is gaining significance, particularly in fostering historical awareness and instilling cultural values inherited from prior generations .
The Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum, in the heart of Palembang, is among the oldest and most emblematic cultural institutions illustrating the history of South Sumatra.
The museum houses a varied collection of artifacts from the Palembang Darussalam Sultanate, colonial-era remnants, regional cultural items, and records related to the history of independence.
This extensive collection positions the SMB II Museum as a genuine and pertinent educational resource for students, university scholars, and the general public, aiming to comprehend the region's historical heritage .
Prior research substantiates the significant role of museums as educational institutions and repositories of historical knowledge.
Research by Sari et al.
demonstrated that the South Sumatra State Museum successfully presented local history and culture through artifact collections and educational initiatives, including webinars and study tours .
Simultaneously, research conducted by Wijaya et al.
underscored the need to enhance the museum's function through guides and organized educational programs to transform visits into reflective and significant learning experiences .
The results of both studies affirm that museums have significant potential to facilitate historical education, thereby establishing a crucial basis for research on the use of the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum as an educational tour and resource for local history learning.
The Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum, situated in the heart of Palembang, is among the oldest and most emblematic cultural institutions illustrating the history of South Sumatra.
The museum houses a varied collection of artifacts from the Palembang Darussalam Sultanate, colonial-era remnants, regional cultural items, and records related to the history of independence.
This extensive collection positions the SMB II Museum as a significant and relevant educational resource for students, university scholars, and the general public, enabling them to understand the region's historical heritage better.
https://doi.
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METHOD
This research method employs a qualitative, descriptive approach to thoroughly comprehend the phenomenon of using the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum as an educational tour and a resource for learning about local history .
This methodology was selected for its ability to investigate informants' meanings, experiences, and viewpoints regarding museum-based learning processes.
The study was carried out at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum in Palembang, utilizing purposively selected informants:
museum administrators, guides, history educators conducting educational tours, and students who engaged in learning activities at the museum.
Figure 1.
Provide a diagram or picture of the research flow from preparation to reporting to visualize the qualitative process (Source: Personal data processe.
Data collection involved direct observation of educational activities, learning environments, and visitor interactions at the museum.
comprehensive interviews with managers, educators, and students.
and photographic documentation.
Additionally, a literature review was conducted to reinforce the theoretical framework for museum education, local history, and educational tours.
The employed instruments comprised observation guidelines, semi-structured interview protocols, and field notes, enabling researchers to record findings systematically.
The Miles and Huberman model was employed for data analysis, involving data reduction, data presentation, conclusion formulation, and verification.
The validity of the data was enhanced by triangulating sources and methods, conducting prolonged observations, and implementing a member-checking process with informants to verify the accuracy of the information .
This study emphasized academic ethics by obtaining permission from the museum and the school, safeguarding the confidentiality of informants' identities, and ensuring that all data were used exclusively for scientific purposes.
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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Museums as Educational Tourism The Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum (SMB II) facilitates educational tourism by integrating recreational activities with historical education into a cohesive visitor experience .
This concept establishes the museum as a public venue for direct engagement with Palembang's cultural heritage and historical occurrences.
The museum serves as both a repository of artifacts and an interactive educational medium that meets contemporary learning needs .
The museum's educational tourism initiative focuses on contextual learning experiences .
Visitors are encouraged to comprehend the connections between each collection and the historical evolution of the Palembang Darussalam Sultanate.
The organized narrative within the exhibition spaces enables visitors to trace the historical progression chronologically, from the kingdom era to the colonial era.
This method helps visitors better understand events.
A prominent aspect of educational tourism at the museum is the guided tour program.
Museum guides elucidate the historical context of each artifact and augment information absent from the exhibition labels.
Visitors can pose questions and participate in discussions with guides, fostering a more interactive learning experience.
These guided tours are beneficial for students, as they facilitate comprehension of historical content through tangible and narrative elucidations .
The structured presentation of the collections enhances visitors' understanding of the historical context.
The era, the impact of Malay culture, and the colonial period.
This organization helps visitors trace the chronological progression of history and link events, thereby enhancing a coherent, comprehensive educational experience.
Educational excursions at the SMB II Museum significantly enhance motivation and interest in historical studies, particularly among students.
A multitude of students who initially perceived history as a mere memorization exercise developed a heightened interest upon encountering tangible artifacts related to the events under examination.
Visits to museums can ignite curiosity and raise awareness of the significance of understanding local history as an integral part of personal and national identity .
The SMB II Museum is essential for advancing experiential history education.
The museum offers a learning experience that engages cognitive, affective, and psychomotor dimensions through guided tours, cultural workshops, and thematic exhibitions.
Consequently, the museum operates as a public educational institution that not only safeguards culture but also perpetually enhances the quality of historical education.
Museums as a Source of Local History The Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum (SMB II) serves as a vital resource for understanding local history, as its collections encapsulate the extensive journey of the inhabitants of Palembang and South Sumatra.
These collections allow visitors, particularly students, to understand regional history firsthand through authentic artifacts and explicit visual narratives .
By using these collections, the museum becomes an accessible educational environment aligned with the historical curriculum in schools.
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A local historical resource that can be comprehended through the museum is the history of the Palembang Darussalam Sultanate.
Collections including ancient manuscripts, royal insignia, military apparatus, and cultural artifacts elucidate the political framework, social existence, and dynamics of the Sultanate's governance .
The existence of genuine artifacts facilitates students' comprehension of the power structure, customary law, and religious practices during the Sultanate's rule.
Figure 2.
Diorama of the Kutogawang War & the Palembang War of 1821 Source: Personal Documentation, 2025 Furthermore, the museum enhances comprehension of the populace's resistance to colonialism, particularly significant events such as the conflict against the VOC, the Kutogawang War, and the intricacies of the relationship between the Sultanate and the Dutch colonial administration .
Historical documentation and artifacts, including traditional weaponry, battle illustrations, and colonial archives, elucidate the nature of local conflict.
This reinforces students' understanding that the quest for independence occurred not solely at the national epicenter but also in the regions.
Figure 3.
Aesan Gede Traditional Clothing and Aesan Paksangko Traditional Clothing Source: Personal Documentation, 2025 The museum's collection exemplifies the vibrant culture of South Sumatra, encompassing Palembang Malay traditions, carvings.
Aesan Gede and Aesan Paksangko attire, and traditional household implements.
This cultural collection helps students understand that history encompasses not only political events but also social identity, cultural https://doi.
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values, and societal structures.
This cultural understanding is essential for fostering local identity and pride in regional heritage .
Museums can be incorporated into the history curriculum within formal education.
Subjects including the Islamic Kingdoms of the Indonesian Archipelago, colonialism, the quest for independence, and regional culture may be examined through experiential outdoor learning methodologies.
Museum visits are integral to the execution of the Independence Curriculum, which prioritizes projects that enhance Pancasila student profiles and experiential learning.
Educators can link museum collections to fundamental competencies and pertinent learning outcomes .
Museums serve as educational resources that align with the principles of contextual teaching and learning, which emphasize connecting education to students' real-life Museum collections offer a tangible framework for generally abstract historical Moreover, museum education incorporates experiential learning, enabling students to acquire knowledge through direct experience, such as examining artifacts, discussing the significance of collections, and formulating historical interpretations grounded in material evidence .
Additionally, artifact collections, visual documentation, and museum exhibits may serve as primary and secondary educational resources.
Original artifacts, including manuscripts, weapons, and traditional tools, function as primary sources, offering tangible evidence of historical events.
Photographs, replicas, information panels, and documentary videos function as secondary sources, enhancing comprehension.
Utilizing both types of sources enhances the learning process, rendering it more comprehensive and profound.
The SMB II Museum serves as both a repository for historical artifacts and an educational center that facilitates a direct, significant connection between students and their regional history.
By incorporating museum collections into contemporary curricula and pedagogical methods, the museum serves as a strategic tool for enhancing understanding of local history and cultivating the cultural identity of the South Sumatran populace.
Obstacles in Museum Utilization The utilization of the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum for local history education encounters numerous challenges that hinder its effectiveness as a learning center.
A significant impediment is the restricted facilities and educational resources present at the Despite the museum's extensive collection, the presentation of information remains primarily reliant on static labels and basic descriptive panels.
The limited incorporation of multimedia technology, interactive infographics, or audio-visual tools renders the learning experience less stimulating for students familiar with digital media .
, .
The exhibition space's outdated condition impedes the development of a dynamic, immersive learning Moreover, the museum continues to exhibit a deficiency in innovative presentation of its collections.
Numerous collections are presented in traditional ways, lacking a cohesive thematic narrative or curatorial progression that could enhance visitors' emotional Innovative collection presentations, such as storytelling, immersive spatial design, or augmented reality, can augment the museum's attractiveness as an educational https://doi.
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The absence of regular exhibition updates further results in a tedious visiting experience, particularly for schools aiming for annual repeat visits .
A further impediment is the lack of enthusiasm among schools for educational Certain schools have not yet integrated museums as a fundamental component of their historical education strategies.
This results from various factors, including constrained transportation budgets, demanding academic schedules, or the belief that classroom learning is adequate.
Moreover, some educators remain unaware of the museum's potential as an educational resource that can enhance students' experiences and connect historical content to real-world contexts .
Moreover, communication obstacles persist between museums and educational institutions.
Not all educational institutions are informed about the programs, thematic exhibitions, or workshops conducted by museums .
Insufficient coordination between museums and schools leads to suboptimal dissemination of educational activities.
In certain instances, museums exhibit an absence of a systematic communication or publication framework, whereas schools frequently await initiatives from the museum.
This absence of synchronization results in diminished collaboration and underutilization of the museum for educational activities.
These challenges suggest that enhancing the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum as an educational resource necessitates advancements in facilities, innovation, and institutional collaborations.
In the absence of enhancements in these areas, museums will encounter difficulties in effectively facilitating local history education in South Sumatra.
CONCLUSION
This research demonstrates that the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum serves as a vital educational tourism site and a repository of local historical knowledge, enhancing students' understanding of the history of the Palembang Darussalam Sultanate, the populace's resistance to colonialism, and South Sumatran culture.
The museum offers contextual learning experiences through guided tours, cultural workshops, and thematic exhibitions, all aligned with the principles of experiential learning.
The museum's utilization is suboptimal due to inadequate facilities, insufficient innovative collection presentation, limited enthusiasm among schools, and poor communication with educational institutions.
The research findings underscore the need for collaborative initiatives among museums, educational institutions, and government bodies to enhance museums' educational Museums must modernize their facilities, enhance their curatorial strategies, and offer more innovative and pertinent educational programs.
Educational institutions can incorporate museum excursions into history curricula, especially within the Independent Curriculum framework, which prioritizes experiential learning.
The local government plays a pivotal role in offering policy support, funding, and promotion.
By enhancing collaboration and elevating the quality of educational services, museums can operate more efficiently as public learning environments and repositories for South Sumatra's cultural heritage.
REFERENCES