Innovative Teaching in Indonesia

• In Event: Innovative Teaching and Learning Research: Global and National Results

Abstract

A growing topic of discussion in Indonesia is the teaching of 21st century skills, often defined as preparing students to succeed in a globally-competitive, knowledge society (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009). As is the case in many countries, schools and teachers here are at exploratory stages of translating the rhetoric into practice. This paper will describe how innovative teaching is localized and understood in Indonesia based on qualitative data collected during site visits to three of the most innovative schools in the country. Data were obtained from classroom observations, interviews with teachers, school and education leaders, and student focus group discussions.
Although innovation inside Indonesian classrooms is at a nascent stage, some schools are pursuing creative alternatives for augmenting limited resources and addressing foundational challenges related to promoting innovative teaching and learning. Early adopters explore opportunities for using ICT and extending learning beyond traditional boundaries, providing early glimpses of the potential for educational change.
Government investments in ICT have increased in recent years, although funding remains insufficient for providing access to schools: the majority of classrooms are without ICT. In site-visited schools with above average facilities (i.e., one projector and one laptop per classroom), some students bring their own technology to supplement schools’ limited resources and teachers voluntarily participate in loan programs for purchasing ICT. When available, ICT is most commonly used to support the transmission of content. However, pioneering teachers have introduced creative, hands-on projects using software to incorporate multimedia, which are opportunities that students receive enthusiastically. Teachers also emphasize the transformative value of Powerpoint presentations as opportunities to think critically about how to make complex content accessible and engaging for students.
English is also a valued trademark of 21st century learning, and schools go beyond traditional boundaries in order to address this goal. At one school students visited local businesses with foreigner traffic, e.g., hotels, while another has a policy to speak English only on Fridays. They also partner with sister schools outside Indonesia and participate in teacher and student exchange programs to promote the sharing of linguistic, cultural and social practices.
Through these undertakings, schools aim to prepare students for the globally-competitive landscape in the context of Indonesian heritage. They balance the barriers (e.g., insufficient infrastructure, funding restrictions, and teacher resistance) with supports to foster innovative teaching practices (e.g., visionary school leadership, professional development and collaboration), while navigating policies that are not always supportive of change.
The data from ITL Research is providing stakeholders with a lens by which to examine policy, practice and the intersection thereof. Reports have provided insights into instruction that demonstrates traditional and innovative enactments aligned with the government’s push for student-centered learning (PAIKEM approach). The analysis of learning activities and student work serves as both the language and medium for building an understanding of 21st century constructs while also enhancing teacher capacity.
This case illustrates the potential for impact among countries willing to start with small scale investments and cultivate pockets of innovation.

Authors

• Gucci Estrella-Trinidad, SRI International

• Medelina Hendytio, Centre for Strategic and International Studies

• Vidhyandika Perkasa, Center for Strategic and International Studies