Teacher Professionalism in Asia: Practical Perspectives from Indonesia

Abstract

Teachers today are expected to have a high level of flexibility and democratic professionalism, which necessitates having a diverse set of knowledge and abilities. In Indonesia, teaching as a profession is still debatable due to the contradiction between the idea of teacher professionalism and how it is actually put into practice by the government and the teachers themselves. By comparing teaching in Indonesia to other professions, this article concentrates on the profession of teaching. The aim was to discuss the essential elements that define teaching as a profession in order to advance the idea that it is a profession in Indonesia. We came to the conclusion that some issues such as teacher autonomy and self-esteem remain at low levels, and that there is a significant barrier for teachers who wish to survive and maintain a career in teaching particularly for honorary teachers. We suggested that the Ministry of Education and Culture be required to assess professional development possibilities and offer enhanced educational/training programs in order to solve every specific challenge. Also, welfare must come first in order to improve teacher performance because pay can affect both teachers’ and pupils’ attention spans.