EFL TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF KURIKULUM MERDEKA: A CASE STUDY AT SMAN 2 PARE IN KEDIRI

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher perceptions on implementing Kurikulum Merdeka at SMAN 2 Pare in Kediri, East Java.  When Kurikulum Merdeka was introduced, a lot of schools and educators are learning to adjust to the new curriculum, hence, the researchers are intrigued to learn how English teachers perceive this new policy. To investigate and describe teacher opinions in depth, a qualitative research method was used. This study collected data through questionnaires, interviews, observations, and document analysis. Several research findings to highlight include an overall positive perception of Kurikulum Merdeka implementation, the factors that influence EFL teachers' perceptions of Kurikulum Merdeka, several strengths of Kurikulum Merdeka, which is considered a flexible curriculum, and teachers' expectation that Kurikulum Merdeka can improve the quality of education. On the other hand, these teachers highlighted the weaknesses of the curriculum. According to these EFL teachers, the first weakness is that learning hours have been reduced; second, the Kurikulum Merdeka has not been implemented fully; third, there is no learning guidebook for students; and fourth, many teachers are still lacking either competence or access to use effective learning media in support of their teaching, which may impact students' learning focus. Finally, many EFL teachers expect that the government will oversee the curriculum implementation process and conduct seminars or workshops to support teachers.

Keywords: EFL, Kurikulum Merdeka, Teachers’ Perception