The Preparedness of English Teachers to Use The "Merdeka Belajar" Curriculum When Instructing English

Abstract

A curriculum is the structured plan or framework outlining the educational content and experiences provided by a school or institution. The Merdeka Curriculum (Kurikulum Merdeka) is part of Indonesia’s educational reform initiative, introduced by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. The purpose of this study was to look into the preparation of English teachers and the challenges they encountered when implementing the Merdeka Belajar curriculum. We spoke with two English teachers from SMAN 06 Bengkulu Utara about the challenges they encountered implementing the Merdeka Belajar the curriculum. Interviews used for qualitative analysis were recorded, categorized, and conclusions were made. The results of the interviews indicated that teachers have challenges while developing learning objectives and implementing differentiated instruction. Despite being category ready, teachers still need seminars and training focused on evaluation and IT utilization in order to produce engaging material. This will help the teachers apply the Merdeka Belajar curriculum more preparedly. In conclusion, it is not surprising that the curriculum, one of the fundamental elements that acts as a guide or direction for teachers, will undergo a variety of alterations in order to accommodate current advances. Because of this, the Merdeka Curriculum is designed with teachers as its primary focus, but it also influences all other parts, particularly those in the academic domain.