A Comparative Analysis of Educational Curriculum Systems in Indonesia and China: Perspectives on Structure, Content, and Pedagogical Approaches

Abstract

China is famous for its very high-quality education; it has a very detailed and structured education system, from primary to university. China also has a culture that values education, so its people care and try hard to improve the quality of education. This research aims to compare curriculum systems in Indonesia and China. This research method is a literature review carried out by collecting relevant sources and using a descriptive analysis approach. The results of this research are: 1) Both Indonesia and China have carried out curriculum reforms to follow society's needs. 2) Indonesia has a 12-year compulsory education program, while China has nine years. 3) Despite their differences, national education goals in both countries are the same: to develop balanced, qualified, and characterized individuals to contribute to national development. 4) The government determines the content/material taught in both countries at the elementary-middle school level. However, China does not have mandatory subjects at the high school level, while the government still determines Indonesia. 5) Learning strategies in Indonesia include group, project, and inquiry-based learning; China has unique strategies, such as implementing naps during learning. 6) National exams are no longer implemented in Indonesia, while there is still a national exam known as the Gaokao Exam in China.