The dynamics of curriculum change and the challenges of primary school teachers: A case study in Indonesia

The curriculum has a pivotal role as an educational guide that affects the success of education. The curriculum changes adapting to the ages and societal needs. In the educational history of Indonesia, the curriculum has several times changed and improved to realize the greatest educational goals. Every change, however, always brings challenges which are still an issue in Indonesia. Uncertainty about something new affects the emotions of the teacher to accept or reject it. Accordingly, this study investigated the dynamics of curriculum change and the challenges faced by primary school teachers in Indonesia. In addition to providing general information on issues of curriculum change and its implementation, this study also specifically analyzes its effects in Indonesia. This research used a qualitative approach with a single case study. The data sources in this study were electronic journals/documents and interview results of 20 primary school teachers in Indonesia. The data were obtained through documents, archival records, open-ended, and focus interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The results of the study show that Indonesia has changed the curriculum several times to achieve the expected quality of education. The dynamics of this change brought positive and negative reactions from various teachers. Teachers who are pro towards curriculum changes consider the changes made to achieve learning objectives. In addition, they think that technological changes guide these changes for the better. On the other hand, teachers who are cons experienced several obstacles in changing the curriculum. The unpreparedness of human resources, facilities and infrastructure, and the geographical location of the school became the trigger for this disagreement. Teachers who teach in rural areas have difficulties in applying technology-based curricula. The distribution of facilities and infrastructure was uneven in several schools. In addition, not all teachers get the same access to training in every change in curriculum. Several teachers admitted that they were overwhelmed by the changes in the curriculum and even students also felt a real impact from the previous curriculum to the curriculum that is currently implemented in Indonesia.