Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn)

Vol. 18, No. 3, August 2024, pp. 950~959

ISSN: 2089-9823 DOI: 10.11591/edulearn.v18i3.21206  950

Sekolah penggerak program: a comparative case study in

Indonesia’s elementary school context

Halida Fatimah, Somariah Fitriani, Dwi Priyono

Department of Educational Administration, Graduate School, Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. Hamka, Jakarta, Indonesia

Article Info ABSTRACT

Article history: The main reason for the research significance is misconceptions arising in
the field when implementing Sekolah Penggerak Program, which started in
Received Aug 19, 2023 2021. Thus, the objectives of this study are to describe programs for
Revised Feb 11, 2024 enhancing exceptional human resources, and to explore the Kurikulum
Accepted Feb 25, 2024 Operasional Satuan Pendidikan (Education Unit Operational Curriculum),
and the Merdeka Curriculum learning. Four elementary schools in
Indonesia's urban and rural areas served as the research unit for analysis,
Keywords: which used a qualitative comparative case study design. The results
demonstrate that the programs of the Ministry of Education, Culture,
Comparative case studies Research, and Technology for improving human resources, which includes
Merdeka Curriculum training and mentoring, have a favourable effect on both rural and urban
Primary schools primary schools. However, only one out of four schools examined the
Sekolah Penggerak Program context of the educational unit while creating education unit operational
Urban and rural area curriculum documents, and every school simply used education unit
operational curriculum as a prerequisite for administrative fulfilment. Based
on the available components, all teachers developed teaching modules for
the Merdeka Curriculum. It was found, nevertheless, that the students were
not genuinely exposed to the content of these modules.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license.

Corresponding Author:
Somariah Fitriani
Department of Educational Administration, Graduate School, Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. Hamka
St. Warung Buncit Raya no 17, Mampang Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia
Email: somariah@uhamka.ac.id

1. INTRODUCTION
Paulo Freire, a Brazilian educator, has vocally criticised the educational paradigm that focuses on
the education industry to “create” people as a result of significant technological advancements. Giroux [1]
even labelled Paulo Freire as “one of the most important critical educators of the twentieth century” in which
his most phenomenal thought was that education was a liberating practice. Beckett [2] also argues that the
idea of liberation education is intriguing, challenging, and even revolutionary because it centers on an
important aspect that previous philosophers have mostly overlooked. The concept of “deschooling,” put forth
by Freire, maintains that learning can occur anywhere and outside of official educational environments [3].
Freire correspondingly characterizes teacher-student interaction as a dialogue, and teachers and students as
critical joint researchers, meaning that education entails not only teaching teachers and students learning, but
teachers and students teaching and learning together [2], [4], [5]. Additionally, Ki Hadjar Dewantara has
pushed for liberating education, emphasizing the unique aspects of Indonesian culture and the value of
developing students' potential in all respects [6]. Through the Merdeka Belajar Program (emancipated
learning) in 2020, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology later brought this idea up
once more. The national education standards agency describes emancipated learning as a strategy that allows

Journal homepage: http://edulearn.intelektual.org

J Edu & Learn ISSN: 2089-9823  951

students to select areas that they are interested in, allowing them to maximize their talents and provide the
greatest service to the country [7].
Based on Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology no. 371 of 2021, the Sekolah
Penggerak Program is a catalyst for achieving the vision of Indonesian education, with one of its objectives
being to guarantee equal access to high-quality education through a program to build the skills of school
principals who can guide educational units in achieving high standards of learning [8] [9]. This refers to
educational institutions that place a strong emphasis on achieving the Profil Pelajar Pancasila (Pancasila
Student Profile), which starts with having good human resources, especially to principals and teachers. Since
teacher creativity is the most essential factor in learning, one of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research,
and Technology concerns in creating a Merdeka Curriculum that eventually launched Sekolah Penggerak
Program. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) study from 2015 revealed
that student and teacher interaction during learning did not foster higher order thinking or analytical
capabilities. The ability of a teacher to innovate, be creative, think critically, efficiently organize learning
resources for pupils, and respond to and handle student inquiries in the most cutting-edge, inventive, and
creative manner is referred to as teacher creativity [10]. Teacher creativity is a significant skill of educational
instructors and facilitators when aiding themselves in facilitating the knowledge transfer to pupils in the
current era of advanced technology and revolution [11]. As Beghetto [12] pointed out that the teacher plays a
central role in designing and managing the types of learning experiences that determine whether creativity
will be supported or suppressed in the classroom. Beghetto [12] added that creative learning is related to
developing new and meaningful contributions to one's and others' learning and life as well. This relationship
needs to be demonstrated in the 21st century due to the significant association between creativity and robust
national economic development [13].
In addition, opportunities to experiment, create, and attempt new things can strengthen, expand, or
grow an individual's creativity [14], all of which are initiated by creative teachers in their classes and
supported by the principal's leadership abilities. The results of the study show that teacher creativity increases
human resource competence, management and business competence, entrepreneurial competence and
interpersonal competence [15]. The results of other studies support the notion that creativity has a direct
positive relationship with self-efficacy in fostering a child-centered learning environment [16]. Thus, it is
imperative for educators to understand how the environment affects creativity and how they may modify the
environment to encourage creativity in their pupils [17]. Creating a positive environment is also an important
part of pursuing quality education and the quality of pupils [18].
22 episodes of emancipated learning have been released by the Ministry of Education, Culture,
Research, and Technology as of September 7, 2022, and the seventh episode specifically addressed target
students and schools [19]. Previous research revealed that the Sekolah Penggerak Program encourages
teachers to concentrate on their students' learning as well as their motivation and critical thinking abilities.
Teachers become more professional as a result of participating in collaborative reflective practice of program
implementation [20]. The other study indicated that because Indonesia's environment is so diverse, it is
important to implement periodic evaluation programs for its curriculum [21]. In addition, the success of
sekolah penggerak's implementation is greatly dependent on school principals [22]. Even though Sekolah
Penggerak Program had reached its third batch spreading across 509 regencies/cities in 34 provinces in
Indonesia by the time of its launch in December 2022, various misconceptions in the field began to be seen.
The need for more in-depth study is essential, and it should be done as soon as possible, based on
the literature analysis, the findings of prior studies, and common misconceptions in the field. For the reason
that it is a new educational program in Indonesia, little study has been done on it. The government will be
able to analyze the program more thoroughly with the help of the practical implication provided by this
research. In addition, this research contributes theoretically, empirically and practically to see the practice
carried out directly in Indonesia in understanding the concept of liberation education inspired by Paulo Freire
and Ki Hadjar Dewantara and the interventions carried out by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research,
and Technology in hastening the school acceleration process. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to
explore the implementation of Sekolah Penggerak Program which focuses on the type of program to
strengthen excellent human resources, the implementation of the education Kurikulum Operasional Satuan
Pendidikan (Education Unit Operational Curriculum), and the implementation of Merdeka Curriculum
learning at the elementary school level in urban areas and rural areas. The selection of urban and rural areas
was carried out because these two regions have fundamental differences, for example in terms of the quality
of human resources and facilities in the two regions. Moreover, it is to explore the implementation carried out
which is likely to discover different issues from the two regions. The purpose of this exploration is to serve as
a policy foundation for the local and national governments in addressing and foreseeing current issues or
limitations in order to minimize issues that arise during the learning process and ensure the success of the
Sekolah Penggerak Program and Merdeka Curriculum goals.

Sekolah penggerak program: a comparative case study in Indonesia’s elementary … (Halida Fatimah)
952  ISSN: 2089-9823

2. RESEARCH METHOD
2.1. Research context
The Emancipated learning program, which was introduced by the Ministry of Education, Culture,
Research, and Technology in early 2021, includes an episode called Sekolah Penggerak Program. Sekolah
Penggerak Program is a catalyst for realizing Indonesia's educational vision which focuses on developing
student learning outcomes holistically by realizing the Pancasila Student Profile which begins with excellent
human resources, namely principals and teachers. To speed up the school acceleration process, the Ministry
of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology is committed to providing five special interventions
including i) consultative and asymmetric mentoring interventions, ii) strengthening school human resources,
iii) new paradigm learning, iv) data-based planning, and v) digitalization of schools. However, the focus of
this research is on the second intervention which is in line with the stages in achieving Pancasila Student
Profile which begins with excellent human resources particularly for principals and teachers.

2.2. Research design

As part of a qualitative research approach with an interpretivism paradigm, this study used a
comparative case study design [23]–[25] to explore the implementation of Sekolah Penggerak Program in the
two geographically distinct regions of Indonesia the urban and rural areas. Four public primary schools, four of
which are unique in their physical locations between urban and rural areas, were compared using this design.
These four schools also differ in terms of their resources both human and physical which probably affects the
outcomes.

2.3. Participants
Four primary schools-two public primary schools in a rural area, and two public schools in an urban
area, which are located in Indonesia become the research unit of analysis. The participants of the study
include school principals, learning committee, and teachers of the first and the fourth grade of primary
schools because the first and the fourth grade are the first class in the first year of implementing Merdeka
Curriculum. In addition, the school superintendent, and facilitators of Sekolah Penggerak participated in this
study as well. We used initials for the participants' names and the schools' names because of ethical
sensitivity, which protected both the participants' and the schools' privacy.

2.4. Data collection and data analysis

We garnered the data through observation, interviews and documentation. As one of us is a
facilitator of Sekolah Penggerak and participated in the program directly, she did the participant’s
observation to understand the phenomena being investigated. Thus, the access to obtain the schools’
permission is somewhat effortless. We informed the objectives of the research and requested them to
participate in our study voluntarily. After we obtained the informed consent from the schools and
participants, we made an appointment for observation and interviews. Observations were made during
intracurricular learning, and school assistance by facilitator of Sekolah Penggerak. For interviews, we asked
the participants’ point of views about the implementation of Sekolah Penggerak Program and delved into
more data about the vision and mission based on their perceptions. Whereas we analysed the government-
issued documents, which include i) policy document on anticipated learning, Sekolah Penggerak Program
and Merdeka Curriculum [9]; ii) guidebook on the preparation of operational curriculum in educational units
[26]; iii) guidebook on learning and assessment [27]; and iv) guidebook on Projek Penguatan Profil Pelajar
Pancasila (P5) [28]. Since we focused on grade 1 and 4, we analysed six books of school operational
curriculum in educational documents written by teachers of grade 1, seven books of school operational
curriculum in educational documents written by teachers of grade 4, flow of learning objectives and teaching
modules which are created by teachers of grade 1 and 4; P5 project module written by teachers of grade 1 and
4 and handbooks used by teachers and students in grades 1 and 4 [29]−[41]; and researchers’ note of learning
process, and activities related to the sekolah penggerak program.
For data analysis, we did pattern matching, explanation building, and time series analysis adopted by
Vebrianto et al. [20]. For pattern matching, we matched the patterns of our data, which have the same idea to
strengthen the validity. To get the results from pattern matching, we conducted data explanation in order that
the obtained data become more specific, and we can make a conclusion. The last is time series analysis since
the data was garnered for one year. We did source triangulation to check the validity of the data by
comparing the information from school principals, teachers, supervisors and facilitators in each school. We
also used method triangulation by comparing the data through observation, interviews and documentation.
For data trustworthiness and rigor, we requested the participants to reread and give feedback to our data
interpretation before we drew the conclusion.

J Edu & Learn, Vol. 18, No. 3, August 2024: 950-959

J Edu & Learn ISSN: 2089-9823  953

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1. Programs for strengthening human resources in Sekolah Penggerak
For starters, the government implemented a human resource strengthening program in Sekolah
Penggerak, which was divided into two categories of strengthening programs, namely training, and
mentorship. The government sent out Sekolah Penggerak facilitator, who was allocated to 5-8 supported
schools, in order to strengthen human resources. The types of the program are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Types of training and mentoring for human resource strengthening programs
Human resource
Training Mentoring
strengthening
May-June 2022 Training for learning committee -
September Curriculum workshop: learning planning 1 Operational management working group
Reflection
October Curriculum workshop: processing and reporting of Operational management working group
assessment results
Superintendent workshop: community practitioner Field visit
November Curriculum workshop: learning planning 2 Operational management working group
Workshop on tolerance Field visit
December Supervisors workshop 2: facilitating learning needs Operational management working group Reflection
and sharing good practices in education units
January 2023 - Operational management working group
February - Operational management working group Reflection
March - Operational management working group
April - Operational management working group
May Principal leadership workshop Operational management working group
Stakeholder forum
June End of academic year reflection Operational management working group

All school principals and teachers acknowledged that they had benefitted from all the training and
mentoring provided by the government through the facilitator of Sekolah Penggerak as following interviews.

The training carried out by West Java Balai Besar Guru Penggerak (BBGP) had a very positive
effect on us, we now know more about what a Merdeka Curriculum is, how it is implemented in
schools. (Ms. YW, principal in school A, urban area).
Alhamdulillah this training had a great impact on us. Especially in mentoring, even though it is
done online, it helps us a lot with our confusion in implementing it in the field. (Ms. HS, grade one
teacher).
I really feel the impact of strengthening human resources organized by BBGP West Java. This
curriculum is something new, especially the sekolah penggerak program. Neither we nor the expert
trainers (Sekolah Penggerak facilitator) are still learning. So, at first, we explored the curriculum
Sekolah Penggerak Program. Expert trainers ask us to be perfect in their application. They don't
see our condition in the field. Until finally at the point of the field visit, our expert trainers finally
realized that assisted schools could not be generalized, for example, private schools started at
number 6, while we could only start at number 3. (Ms. HP, school principal in school B, urban
area).
Initially, we did not know anything about the Merdeka Curriculum, we gradually know the content
of the curriculum, its structure, and the way of learning through training. We know curriculum and
its application in learning especially during the workshop, we understand how to prepare the
curriculum, and the school's academic calendar”. Training and mentoring were very influential, we
conveyed our complaints at operational management working group, starting from applying the
Sekolah Penggerak Program curriculum to students, we all shared the problems we were
experiencing and chatted together to find solutions. Thank God, I obtained many benefits from
operational management working group, for example when I had trouble evicting the traders, the
traders really entered the front of the class, the smell of frying the food bothered the children. I told
the problem at operational management working group, then we were recommended how to
communicate with the merchants. Thank God the traders are now in order. (Mr. UM. school
principal in school C, rural area).
The impact, Alhamdulillah, is further advancing the school. But for its application, it is lack of
cooperation. For myself it is very influential, I gain knowledge, make friends, but maybe because of
the atmosphere in the village, it is difficult to keep the spirit up, so we are sluggish again. (Ms. MS,
a teacher in school C of grade one, rural area).

Sekolah penggerak program: a comparative case study in Indonesia’s elementary … (Halida Fatimah)
954  ISSN: 2089-9823

Assistance is very necessary, very impactful. With assistance, what we need, and the obstacles, we
can immediately share anything with FSP and come up with solutions, so we can apply these
solutions in school life. (Ms. LK, principal in school D, rural area).

Training is considered as one of the imperative factors in developing individual qualities and the
success of any organization, including in the field of education. A lot of training has been provided for
professionals and educators in the last ten years. Previous studies have proven significant results for both
teachers and principals. For example, training improved the professional self-efficacy of teachers and
improved the school climate. It also provided an efficient way for managing behavior and associated
strategies for intervention schools [42], enhanced classroom literary assessment and teaching effectiveness
[43], improve teachers’ self-confidence in progressing students’ problematical behaviour and the level of
satisfaction [44], altering teachers’ beliefs and enhancing teachers’ knowledge, abilities, and self-esteem to
effectively modify the curriculum for the more capable pupils [45], enrich their knowledge [46], [47] and
developed teachers’ ability to transfer the training knowledge to their jobs [48].
Likewise, with mentoring that provides many benefits. Mentoring is seen as a process of informally
transmitting knowledge, social capital, and psychosocial support to facilitate communication of the values,
vision, and mission of an institution or organization, and thereby assist juniors in understanding
organizational culture and making necessary changes for workplace socialization [49], [50]. Healy dan
Welchert [51] define mentoring as an activity in which more senior or experienced people who have earned
respect and power in their field take more junior or less experienced peers under their tutelage to teach,
encourage, and ensure success of their mentees. As a facilitator or known as a mentor in general also has
several benefits including professional development, institutional recognition, and personal satisfaction [52].
Mentoring has been found to exert a positive influence in the professional/pedagogical and
emotional/personal areas [53]-[55], influencing the process of integration of novice teachers into the
education system as a whole and in their environment in their respective schools [56]. The research literature
suggests that mentorship helps novice teachers gain self-confidence and enhances their professional abilities
[57]. The study revealed that mentoring activities are found to benefit participants and bring them
satisfaction, as well as having the ability to inspire them to work with pupils in the classroom [58].

3.2. Implementation of education unit operational curriculum in rural and urban areas
At the education unit level, the education unit operational curriculum. Education unit operational
curriculum is a stand-alone curriculum that includes all learning process plans that serve as implementation
guidelines for all learning activities. The operational curriculum of the educational unit is created utilizing the
education unit operational curriculum preparation process and principles, specifically taking into account the
needs of the educational unit and the students, in order to give it significance. The education unit operational
curriculum document search results from the four sekolah penggerak were nearly identical, with the
exception of school B, which produced different results. Table 2 shows the findings of the education unit
operational curriculum document search for each school.

Table 2. The analysis of education unit operational curriculum

No Analysis component Schools in urban area Schools in rural area
A B C D
1 Context analysis of educational unit characteristics X √ X X
2 Vision, mission, and objective √ √ √ √
3 Learning organization √ √ √ √
4 Lesson plan √ √ √ √
5 Mentoring, evaluation, and professional development X X X X

“At the beginning of compiling the education unit operational curriculum, we only looked for
existing examples, then we changed the vision and mission. Then, when there is a field visit from
FSP, we get input to revise the education unit operational curriculum. Indeed, after I checked, the
education unit operational curriculum did not match the school's conditions. So, we thought at that
time the education unit operational curriculum was just a formality, the important thing was that we
had the education unit operational curriculum” (Mr. UM school principal in school C, rural area).
In line with Mr. UM, Ms. HP as the principal in an urban school said “to be honest, we used to
utilize an existing template that was given by the supervisor. But next year we plan to analyze it
ourselves and compile our own Kurikulum Operasional Satuan Pendidikan. After the education unit
operational curriculum was signed, it went into the cupboard, then just forgot about it. Learning
goes on as usual.

J Edu & Learn, Vol. 18, No. 3, August 2024: 950-959

J Edu & Learn ISSN: 2089-9823  955

These statements were strengthened by supervisor, Mrs. NW said that “in the beginning of Sekolah
Penggerak, we were all blank. We as superintendents help schools to lighten their administrative
burden a bit by looking for education unit operational curriculum templates. Then we asked them to
be able to adapt the education unit operational curriculum for their schools.”

The curriculum structure established by the government is used as a reference for educational units
to develop curricula towards achieving a Pancasila Student Profile. This curriculum structure contains intra-
curricular activities and projects to strengthen the Profile of Pancasila Students. Such principles, in particular
on student-centered and contextual, are related to differentiated instruction/learning. Morgan and Hany [59]
described differentiated instruction/learning (DI) as a method of identifying and teaching in accordance with
various student talents and learning styles. DI is based on the theory of Howard Gardner on multiple
intelligence that pupils learn through a variety of intelligences [60]. Peer tutoring, flexible grouping, and
student choice are prioritized in this method of instruction in order to accommodate the requirements of a
varied range of learners [61]. More significantly, the study discovered that this strategy entails adapting
instruction to ensure the success of all students [62], [63]. Australian teachers in special schools employ DI to
support the academic progress of pupils with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To improve
learning for this group of students and guarantee a secure learning environment, they employ DI as a
successful teaching strategy [64]. If teachers adapt their lessons for individual learners' needs and learning
styles, pupils at all levels of knowledge can learn more successfully in an inclusive atmosphere [60].
Regarding the third principle, which involves a variety of stakeholders, the results imply that
flexible homework assignments supported by a central concept can enhance parents' opportunities to actively
participate in their children's education. The other finding also suggests the involvement of the school
committee in assessing the learning process' contribution to the standard of school life and in fostering
contact between schools and parents of students [65]. The synergy among stakeholders in education is called
“Triple helix” which was firstly introduced by Etzkowitz and Leydesdorff [66], [67] in management sector.
Previous studies have shown that the ideas of triple helix demonstrate the positive effects of several types of
teamwork and collaboration [68]-[71].

3.3. Implementation of Merdeka Curriculum learning

Since learning is prioritized in the Merdeka Curriculum in accordance with students' needs, one
prerequisite to identifying these needs is diagnostic assessment. Additionally, the teacher can start designing
instruction by developing learning objectives based on the learning outcomes in each phase once they have
received the assessment results. As an intracurricular learning document, the teaching module is a lesson plan
that the instructor will carry out, complete with learning objectives, instructional strategies, and assessment
guidelines. Upon searching for teaching module documents consisting fixed components (as you can see in
Table 3), the following results were found.

Table 3. Analysis of teaching module components

Schools in urban area Schools in rural area
No. Analysis component
A B C D
1. General information Module author identity √ √ √ √
Pancasila Student Profile √ √ √ √
Facilities and infrastructure √ √ √ √
The learning model used √ √ √ √
2. Core component Learning objective √ √ √ √
Trigger question √ √ √ √
Learning activities √ √ √ √
Assessment √ √ √ √
3. Appendixes Student worksheets √ √ √ √
Enrichment and remedial √ √ √ √

Based on document’s analysis, it was found that of the four schools, all teaching modules were
fulfilled according to the standard components in the 2022 learning and assessment guide from the
government, but the facts on the ground found the following: At school A and B in urban area, all of the
module documents are the result of searches on the internet, and they only change the identity of the module.
Sometimes they make their own version of teaching modules. Even though these two schools had carried out
an analysis of learning outcomes which were passed down to learning objectives and then the flow of
learning objective was made, in fact when it was applied to the module it was as if what was made was not
done. Based on the interview with a grade four teacher about the teaching modules, it was found as the
following excerpt.

Sekolah penggerak program: a comparative case study in Indonesia’s elementary … (Halida Fatimah)
956  ISSN: 2089-9823

“For us, to be able to consistently make such complete modules is very hard. We only make our
version one or two times and even then, if there is an inspection, we will submit our version. But for
a year's bundle, we just change it from the internet,” said Mrs. SP, a fourth-grade teacher.

This information was also verified by his colleague. He pointed out how comprehensive the current
modules were. Furthermore, if they followed such a comprehensive module, they felt inadequate and worn
out, especially since he was teaching in grade one, which had an “invisible” workload. As a result, all he has
done thus far is copy and alter the current modules like in the following excerpt.

Mrs. HS said “grade 1 is different from other classes, to make children enjoy going to school, and
being enthusiastic about just coming to school is extraordinary. So, it is just administrative matters.
For teaching modules, I only observe, imitate and modify existing ones.”

In the case of rural elementary schools, schools C and D, they have teaching module templates that
are different from those on the internet. They were assigned by the facilitator to make templates according to
school needs, teacher abilities, and still based on the 2022 learning guide and assessment. Even so, it's the
same as schools in urban areas, they only occasionally arrange teaching modules based on templates. But in
the end, they come back with modules teachings that are widely circulated on the internet.

“I'm still copying and pasting, (laughing). The point is when there is a need, namely the need to be
seen by the school principal, and the need when requested by the facilitator,” said Mrs. MS, a
teacher of School C.

When it comes to creating instructional modules, school C is much more consistent than school D.
Three of the four teachers whose modules were examined and interviews conducted consistently apply
learning according to the Merdeka Curriculum's tenets. The grade 1 teacher was still using the outdated
paradigm of learning, as evidenced by the following excerpt.

Mrs. YH as the grade one teacher said “I haven't been able to use the Merdeka Curriculum, my
focus is still on reading, writing and arithmetic (calistung). Our school is in a village, where 80% of
students did not go to kindergarten. As a result, the introduction of new letters and numbers begins
in class 1. I simply deliver the subject matter of Merdeka Curriculum while my main target is
calistung.”

The current study found that many teachers still used an old paradigm and did not follow the
principle of independent learning. There is a discrepancy between the teaching modules that have been
prepared and the implementation of learning in class. The results of the field notes found that six out of ten
teachers who were observed still used an old paradigm learning, which is teacher-centered and dominated by
the lecturing method. The six teachers are two from school A, two from school C, one from school B, and
one from school D. In general, curricula encourage collaborative, learner-centered involvement, with the
teacher serving as a facilitator throughout the process. The curriculum aims to help students build their social
and affective skills, linguistic understanding, communication abilities, and the ability to design unique,
worthwhile initiatives [72]. Thus, understanding the principles of Merdeka Curriculum is profoundly
imperative for teachers in order that they can apply it in the classroom. Project-based learning, for instance,
which has gained popularity in conventional education and has several models devoted to it, is one of the
Merdeka Curriculum's implementations.
The present findings also revealed that teachers mostly used summative assessment. In Merdeka
Curriculum, assessment is divided into diagnostic assessment, formative assessment and summative
assessment. Based on the field notes, it was found that of the 10 teachers who were observed, only five
teachers carried out three types of assessments, three teachers of school D and two teachers of school B. The
teachers' assessment literacy is advantageous since assessment plays a crucial part in the process of teaching
and learning [73]. In the words of Xu and Brown [74], teachers' assessment literacy consists of their
assessment knowledge and skills as well as how they conceptualize assessment in the milieu of their
classroom practices. It is fundamental that teachers possess good assessment literacy since the outcome of the
assessment will have an impact on the standard of instruction and student achievement. Djoub [75] pointed
out that assessment literacy is the ability of teachers to decide what to assess and how to do so, depending on
specified objectives, as well as to make decisions about how to evaluate student achievement. In other words,
teachers who are proficient in assessment literacy understand how to collect correct data on student
performance, how to use assessment results to assist student learning, and how to effectively and reliably
convey assessment results [43].

J Edu & Learn, Vol. 18, No. 3, August 2024: 950-959

J Edu & Learn ISSN: 2089-9823  957

4. CONCLUSION
For the purpose of realizing the profile of Pancasila pupils, the development of excellent human
resources must begin with skilled and competent teachers and visionary school leaders. The Sekolah
Penggerak Program, which is a component of the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum in both urban
and rural locations, has seen substantial improvements and advantages as a result of strengthening human
resources through training and mentoring supported by the Sekolah Penggerak facilitator. The requirement to
include schools, both public and private, as a unit of analysis is one of the research's inherent limitations.
Thus, the need for further research is emphasized. By doing so, more complete data can be collected, which
the government can then utilize to inform policy decisions regarding Sekolah Penggerak Program.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We appreciate the financial support provided by DRTPM Kemendikbud Dikti with grant number
169/F.03.07/2023 on thesis grant scheme.

REFERENCES
[1] H. A. Giroux, “Rethinking education as the practice of freedom: Paulo Freire and the promise of critical pedagogy,” Policy Futures
in Education, vol. 8, no. 6, pp. 715–721, 2010, doi: https://doi.org/10.2304/pfie.2010.8.6.715.
[2] K. S. Beckett, “Paulo Freire and the concept of education,” Educational Philosophy and Theory, vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 49–62, 2013,
doi: 10.1080/00131857.2012.715385.
[3] R. Kahn and D. Kellner, “Paulo Freire and Ivan Illich: technology, politics and the reconstruction of education,” Policy Futures in
Education, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 431–448, Dec. 2007, doi: 10.2304/pfie.2007.5.4.431.
[4] K. S. Beckett, “R.S. Peters and the concept of education,” Educational Theory, vol. 61, pp. 239–255, 2011, doi: 10.1111/j.1741-
5446.2011.00402.x.
[5] K. S. Beckett, “Culturally relevant teaching and the concept of education,” Philosophical Studies in Education, vol. 42, pp. 65–75,
2011.
[6] D. Ferary, “On Ki Hadjar Dewantara’s philosophy of education,” Nordic Journal of Comparative and International Education
(NJCIE), vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 65–78, May 2021, doi: 10.7577/njcie.4156.
[7] BSNP, “Merdeka belajar,” Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi.
[8] Ministry of Education, Culture and Technology Research, “Sekolah Penggerak,” [Online]. Available: https://psp-
web.pauddikdasmen.kemdikbud.go.id/#/home.
[9] Ministry of Education, Culture and Technology Research, “Decree of the Minister of Education, Culture, Research and
Technology of the Republic of Indonesia No. 371 of 2021 concerning the Driving School Program and Number 56 of 2022
concerning the Implementation of the Independent Curriculum (in Indonesia), 2021. [Online]. Available:
https://jdih.kemdikbud.go.id/sjdih/siperpu/dokumen/salinan/salinan_20220711_121315_Fix%20Salinan%20JDIH_Kepmen%20Pe
rubahan%2056%20Pemulihan%20Pembelajaran.pdf
[10] I. Machali, A. Wibowo, A. Murfi, and B. S. Narmaditya, “From teachers to students creativity? the mediating role of
entrepreneurial education,” Cogent Education, vol. 8, no. 1, 2021, doi: 10.1080/2331186X.2021.1943151.
[11] B. S. Narmaditya, D. Wulandari, and S. R. B. Sakarji, “Does problem-based learning improve critical thinking skill?,” Journal
Cakrawala Pendidikan, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 378–388, 2018, doi: 10.21831/cp.v38i3.21548.
[12] R. A. Beghetto, “Creative learning in education,” in The Palgrave handbook of positive education, M. L. Kern and M. L.
Wehmeyer, Eds., Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmilan, 2021, pp. 473–492.
[13] K. Kereluik, P. Mishra, C. Fahnoe, and L. Terry, “What knowledge is of most worth:Teacher knowledge for 21st century
learning,” Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 127–140, 2013, doi:
10.1080/21532974.2013.10784716.
[14] D. Henriksen and K. Shack, “Creativity-focused mindfulness for student well-being,” Kappa Delta Pi Record, vol. 56, no. 4, pp.
170–175, 2020, doi: 10.1080/00228958.2020.1813519.
[15] J. J. Tu and S. Akhter, “Exploring the role of entrepreneurial education, technology and teachers’ creativity in excelling sustainable
business competencies,” Economic Research-Ekonomska Istrazivanja, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 1–19, 2023, doi:
10.1080/1331677X.2022.2119429.
[16] S. K. Cheung, R. W. Fong, S. K. Y. Leung, and E. K. Ling, “The roles of Hong Kong preservice early childhood teachers’
creativity and zest in their self-efficacy in creating child-centered learning environments,” Early Education and Development, vol.
30, no. 6, pp. 788–799, 2019, doi: 10.1080/10409289.2019.1586224.
[17] A. M. Abdulla and B. Cramond, “After six decades of systematic study of creativity: what do teachers need to know about what it
is and how it is measured?,” Roeper Review, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 9–23, 2017, doi: 10.1080/02783193.2016.1247398.
[18] S. Fitriani, Istaryatiningtias, and L. Qodariah, “A child-friendly school: how the school implements the model,” International
Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 273–284, 2021, doi: 10.11591/IJERE.V10I1.20765.
[19] Ministry of Education, Culture and Technology Research, “Mendikbudristek luncurkan Merdeka Belajar episode ke-22,”
Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan,” 2022. [Online]. Available:
https://www.kemdikbud.go.id/main/blog/2022/09/mendikbudristek-luncurkan-merdeka-belajar-episode-ke22.
[20] R. Vebrianto, N. Hermita, D. Irawan, I. M. Mujtahid, and M. Thahir, “Teachers’ experiences in sekolah penggerak program: a
retrospective case study,” Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn), vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 79–88, Feb. 2024, doi:
10.11591/edulearn.v18i1.20908.
[21] D. Mulyadi and R. Mardiana, “Sekolah Penggerak: does curriculum design made fit with the program?,” Adpebi International
Journal of Multidisciplinary Sciences, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 400–414, 2022.
[22] V. N. Rotty, Q. Kainde, J. I. Pitoy, and L. G. L. Punuh, “‘Sekolah Penggerak’ and centers of excellence,” International Journal of
Information Technology and Education, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 111–138, Sep. 2022, doi: 10.62711/ijite.v1i4.89.
[23] H. Lune and B. L. Berg, Qualitative research methods for the scial sciences. Harlow, England: Pearson Education Limited., 2017.
[24] R. K. Yin, Case study research, 5th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2013.
[25] B. L. Berg, Qualitative research method for the social sciences. San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education, 2007.

Sekolah penggerak program: a comparative case study in Indonesia’s elementary … (Halida Fatimah)
958  ISSN: 2089-9823

[26] The Education Standard, Curriculum, and Assessment Agency, Guide to operational development in educational units (in
Indonesia). Jakarta: Ministry of Education, Culture and Technology Research, 2022.
[27] Tim Pengembang Kurikulum Badan Standar Kurikulum dan Asesmen Pendidikan (BSKAP), Learning and assessment guide (in
Indonesia). Jakarta: Ministry of Education, Culture and Technology Research Indonesia, 2022.
[28] Tim Pengembang Kurikulum Badan Standar Kurikulum dan Asesmen Pendidikan (BSKAP), Guide to developing a project to
strengthen the profile of Pancasila students (in Indonesia). Jakarta: Ministry of Education, Culture and Technology Research
Indonesia, 2022.
[29] E. Seftriyana and R. S. Dewi, Pancasila Education teacher's guide (in Indonesia). Jakarta: Ministry of Education, Culture and
Technology Research Indonesia, 2021.
[30] M. Nurzakun and J. Santoso, Grade 1 Islamic Religious and Character Education (in Indonesia). Jakarta: Ministry of Education,
Culture and Technology Research Indonesia, 2021.
[31] EYLC Team, Teacher book, my Next word for elementary school grade 4. Jakarta: Ministry of Education, Culture and Technology
Research Indonesia, 2021.
[32] EYLC Team, Teacher’s book: my next word for elementary school Grade 1. Jakarta: Ministry of Education, Culture and
Technology Research Indonesia, 2021.
[33] Tim Gakko Tosho, Mathematics teacher's guide book for grade 1 elementary schools (in Indonesia). Jakarta: Ministry of
Education, Culture and Technology Research Indonesia, 2021.
[34] Muhazir and Z. Raushanfikri, Physical education, sports and health teacher's guidebook (in Indonesia). Jakarta: Ministry of
Education, Culture and Technology Research Indonesia, 2022.
[35] S. Dewayanti, Indonesian teacher's guide: I can! (in Indonesia). Jakarta: Ministry of Education, Culture and Technology Research
Indonesia, 2021.
[36] E. Y. Nukman and C. E. Setyowati, Indonesian teacher's guide: Look around (in Indonesia). Jakarta: Ministry of Education,
Culture and Technology Research Indonesia, 2021.
[37] S. Hobri et al., Mathematics teacher's guidebook (in Indonesia). Jakarta: Ministry of Education, Culture and Technology Research
Indonesia, 2022.
[38] A. Faozan and Jamaludin, Teacher's guide book for Islamic Religious Education and Character (in Indonesia). Jakarta: Ministry of
Education, Culture and Technology Research Indonesia, 2021.
[39] A. Fitri, A. A. Rasa, A. Kusumawardhani, K. K. Nursya’bani, K. Fatimah, and N. I. Setianingsih, Natural and Social Sciences
teacher's guidebook (in Indonesia). Jakarta: Ministry of Education, Culture and Technology Research Indonesia, 2021.
[40] Y. Lubis and D. N. Priharto, Pancasila and Citizenship Education teacher's guidebook (in Indonesia). Jakarta: Ministry of
Education, Culture and Technology Research Indonesia, 2021.
[41] Muhajir and A. Gunawan, Physical Education, Sports and Health teacher's guidebook (in Indonesia). Jakarta: Ministry of
Education, Culture and Technology Research Indonesia, 2021.
[42] S. Moutiaga and I. Papavassiliou-Alexiou, “Promoting professional development of secondary school teachers in Greece: in-school
training in managing student behaviour,” Teacher Development, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 492–513, 2022, doi:
10.1080/13664530.2022.2104918.
[43] S. Zulaiha and H. Mulyono, “Exploring junior high school EFL teachers’ training needs of assessment literacy,” Cogent Education,
vol. 7, no. 1, 2020, doi: 10.1080/2331186X.2020.1772943.
[44] P. Cooper and Z. Yan, “Some possible effects of behaviour management training on teacher confidence and competence: evidence
from a study of primary school teachers in Hong Kong,” Educ Stud, vol. 41, no. 1–2, pp. 156–170, 2015, doi:
10.1080/03055698.2014.955739.
[45] C. Vreys, G. N. Ndungbogun, T. Kieboom, and K. Venderickx, “Training effects on Belgian preschool and primary school
teachers’ attitudes towards the best practices for gifted children,” High Ability Studies, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 3–22, 2018, doi:
10.1080/13598139.2017.1312295.
[46] A. Mishal and D. Patkin, “Contribution of mathematics in-service training course to the professional development of elementary
school teachers in Israel,” Teacher Development, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 253–274, 2016, doi: 10.1080/13664530.2016.1138997.
[47] G. Papageorgiou, D. Stamovlasis, and P. Johnson, “Primary teachers’ understanding of four chemical phenomena: Effect of an in-
service training course,” J Sci Teacher Educ, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 763–787, 2013, doi: 10.1007/s10972-012-9295-y.
[48] P. Pineda‐Herrero, E. Belvis, M. V. Moreno, and X. Úcar, “Is continuing training useful for pre‐school teachers? Effects of training
on pre‐school teachers and centers,” European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 407–421, 2010,
doi: 10.1080/1350293X.2010.500081.
[49] B. Bozeman and M. K. Feeney, “Toward a useful theory of mentoring: a conceptual analysis and critique.,” Adm Soc, vol. 39, no.
6, pp. 719–39, 2007, doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399707304119.
[50] P. C. Sundgren, “Mentoring radiology residents in clinical and translational research.,” Pia C. Sundgren, vol. 19, no. 9, pp. 1110–
1113, 2012, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acra.2012.04.008.
[51] C. C. Healy and A. J. Welchert, “Mentoring relations: a definition to advance research and practice.,” Educational Researcher, vol.
19, no. 9, pp. 17–21, 1990, doi: https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X019009017.
[52] E. K. Schmidt and S. T. Faber, “Benefits of peer mentoring to mentors, female mentees and higher education institutions,”
Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 137–157, 2016, doi: 10.1080/13611267.2016.1170560.
[53] J. Gless, “Designing mentoring programs to transform school cultures.,” in Mentors in the making: Developing new leaders for
new teachers, B. Achinstein and S. Z. Athanases, Eds., New York, NY: Teachers College Press., 2006, pp. 165–175.
[54] R. M. Ingersoll and M. A. Strong, “The impact of induction and mentoring programs for beginning teachers: a critical review of
the research.,” Rev Educ Res, vol. 81, no. 2, pp. 201–233, 2011, doi: 10.3102/0034654311403323.
[55] P. Hudson, “Mentoring as a professional development: ‘growth for both’ mentor and mentee.,” Professional development in
education, vol. 39, no. 5, pp. 771–783, 2013, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2012.749415.
[56] M. L. Donaldson and S. M. Johnson, “The price of misassignment: the role of teaching assignment in teach for America (TFA)
teachers’ exit from low-income schools and the teaching profession.,” Educ Eval Policy Anal, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 299–323, 2010.
[57] L. Kidd, N. Brown, and N. Fitzallen, “Beginning teachers’ perceptions of their induction into the teaching profession,” Australian
journal of teacher education, vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 153–173, 2015, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2014v40n3.10.
[58] S. Fitriani and H. P. Ilyas, “Mentoring program: how it improves teachers ability to engage pupils in a variety of activities in
kindergarten,” Aksara: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan Nonformal, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 1031–1041, 2022, doi: 10.37905/aksara.8.2.1031-
1042.2022.
[59] H. Morgan, “Maximizing student success with differentiated learning,” The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies,
Issues and Ideas, vol. 87, no. 1, pp. 34–38, 2014, doi: 10.1080/00098655.2013.832130.

J Edu & Learn, Vol. 18, No. 3, August 2024: 950-959

J Edu & Learn ISSN: 2089-9823  959

[60] R. A. Kapusnick and C. M. Hauslein, “The ‘silver cup’ of differentiated instruction.,” Kappa Delta Pi Record, vol. 37, no. 4, pp.
156–159, 2001, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00228958.2001.10518493.
[61] K. J. Grimes and D. D. Stevens, “Glass, bug, mud.,” Phi Delta KappanKappan, vol. 90, no. 9, pp. 677–680, 2009, doi:
10.1177/003172170909000914.
[62] R. Tobin, “Conundrums in the differentiated literacy classroom,” Reading Improvement, vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 159–169, 2008.
[63] R. Tobin and A. McInnes, “Tobin, R., and A. McInnes. Accommodating differences: Variations in differentiated literacy
instruction in grade 2/3 classrooms.,” Literacy, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 3–9, 2008, doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-
9345.2008.00470.x.
[64] K. Gibbs, “Australian teachers and school leaders’ use of differentiated learning experiences as responsive teaching for students
with ADHD,” Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 18–31, 2023, doi: 10.1080/13632752.2023.2194131.
[65] S. Fitriani and Istaryatiningtias, “Promoting child-friendly school model through school committee as parents’ participation,”
International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 1025–1034, 2020, doi:
10.11591/ijere.v9i4.20615.
[66] H. Etzkowitz and L. Leydesdorff, Universities in the global knowledge economy: The triple helix of university-industry-
government relations, London: Cassell Academic, 1997.
[67] H. Etzkowitz and L. Leydesdorff, “The dynamics of innovation: from national systems and ‘Mode 2’ to a Triple Helix of
university-industry-government relations.,” Research Policy 29:, vol. 29, pp. 109–125, 2000.
[68] H. Etzkowitz and R. Viale, “Polyvalent knowledge and the entrepreneurial university: a third academic revolution?,” Crit Sociol
(Eugene), vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 595–609, 2010.
[69] L. Leydesdorff, “The triple helix quadruple helix, an N-tuple helices: explanatory models for analysing the knowledge-based
economy?,” Journal of Knowledge Economics, vol. 3, pp. 25–35, 2012.
[70] H. Etzkowitz, “The entrepreneurial university wave: from ivory tower to global economic engine,” Industry and Higher education,
vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 223–232, 2014.
[71] S. Fitriani, S. Wahjusaputri, and A. Diponegoro, “Triple Helix as a model of a knowledge-based economy for small and medium-
sized enterprises: the Indonesian case,” International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, vol. 11, no. 8, pp. 369–386,
2020.
[72] V. T. Greenier, “The 10Cs of project-based learning TESOL curriculum,” Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, vol. 14,
no. 1, pp. 27–36, 2018, doi: 10.1080/17501229.2018.1473405.
[73] R. Lam, “Language assessment training in Hong Kong: implications for language assessment literacy,” Language Testing, vol. 32,
no. 2, pp. 169–197, 2015, doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532214554321.
[74] Y. Xu and G. T. L. Brown, “Teacher assessment literacy in practice: A reconceptualization,” Teach Teach Educ, vol. 58, pp. 149–
162, 2016, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.05.010.
[75] Z. Djoub, “Assessment literacy: beyond teacher practice,” in Revisiting EFL assessment: Critical perspective, R. Al-Mahrooqi, C.
Coombe, F. Al-Maamari, and V. Thakur, Eds., Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing., 2017, pp. 9–27. doi:
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32601-6.

BIOGRAPHIES OF AUTHORS

Halida Fatimah is a a Student of Postgraduate School Majoring Educational

Administration in Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. DR. Hamka. She is a fasilitator of
Sekolah Penggerak Program of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology
with the assisted education unit in Karawang Regency. She also manages one of integrated
Islamic primary schools in Cibinong, Bogor Regency as a school principal, and has its own
education foundation with the management of information technology of early childhood
education programs located in Sukaraja, Bogor Regency. Her research interests are Merdeka
Curriculum and Sekolah Penggerak. She can be contacted at email:
2109037076@uhamka.ac.id

Somariah Fitriani is an associate professor in Postgraduate School at Universitas

Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. Hamka, who has a doctorate degree in educational management.
Her research interests include school governance, education for street children, child friendly
school, facility and classroom management, vocational high school, collaborative learning in
higher education and leadership in educational management, parental involvement,
professional learning community, teachers’ professional identity, and English education. She
can be contacted at email: somariah@uhamka.ac.id.

Dwi Priyono is a senior lecturer of Educational Administration Department in

Postgraduate School Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. Hamka. He used to be a Director
of Southeast Asia Ministers Education Organization (SEAMEO), Centre of Early Childhood
Care Education and Parenting (CECCEP). His research interests include childhood education
and parenting, and leadership. He can be contacted at email: dwipriyohantoro@gmail.com.

Sekolah penggerak program: a comparative case study in Indonesia’s elementary … (Halida Fatimah)