Teachers' Reflective Practice in Implementing the Kurikulum Merdeka (Case Study at SMA Negeri 1 KURIPAN)

Abstract

The independent curriculum is a new breakthrough from the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia that aims to empower education units and teachers in developing students' potential, including 21st century skills (Kemdikbud, 2021). So that we can also formulate the objectives in this study to determine the level of teacher understanding of the concepts and policies of the independent curriculum in their respective schools and the extent to which teachers apply reflection in evaluating planning, processes, and learning outcomes based on the independent curriculum. The benefits of this study, the researcher hopes to provide a comprehensive picture of the extent to which teachers have implemented reflection and a critical approach in implementing the independent curriculum and then identify the obstacles, constraints, and real needs of teachers related to reflective practice in the independent curriculum. The interview results indicate that there are still variations in the level of teachers' understanding of the Merdeka Curriculum concept. Teacher A explained that he had broadly understood that Merdeka Curriculum aims to empower teachers to develop students' potential through the application of 21st century skills and independence values. However, how to translate it into concrete learning activities is still confusing. Meanwhile, Teachers B and C even stated that the socialization provided had not provided adequate understanding, it was still theoretical and difficult to apply. Teachers' understanding of the concept of Merdeka Curriculum is still limited and partial. Most teachers only understand in outline, but have difficulty applying it concretely in learning.