Fostering Positive Classrooms but Falling Short: Insights from Indonesia’s Teacher Practices

The World Bank’s study on teaching practices in Indonesia reveals that while teachers excel in fostering positive classroom culture, they struggle with instructional effectiveness and socioemotional skills. Significant disparities exist between urban and rural schools, highlighting the need for targeted teacher training and curriculum alignment to improve education quality.

The World Bank’s recent study on teacher practices in Indonesia, using the Teach Primary classroom observation tool, provides an in-depth look at how teaching is conducted across the country. This tool, which has been employed in over 30 middle-income countries, measures two key aspects of teaching: the time spent on task, which refers to how much time teachers dedicate to learning activities and the degree to which students stay engaged, and the quality of teaching practices. These practices are assessed through three broad areas: classroom culture, instruction, and socioemotional skills. For this study, 993 observations were conducted across 405 primary schools, observing 501 teachers during two 15-minute intervals in their classrooms. These schools were selected from both the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (MoECRT) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) to ensure a nationally representative sample.

Teachers Excel in Classroom Culture but Struggle with Instruction

The study shows that Indonesian teachers generally excel in creating a positive classroom culture, with 88% of them scoring three or higher on a five-point scale. They were found to be effective in establishing a supportive learning environment and in setting clear behavioral expectations, scoring an average of 3.5 and 3.4 in these areas, respectively. However, the picture is less optimistic when it comes to instruction and socioemotional skills. Only 26% of teachers scored medium to high in the instruction category, and a mere 10% achieved similar scores in socioemotional skills. These figures suggest that while Indonesian teachers are good at managing classrooms, there are significant weaknesses in the way they deliver content and in how they foster socioemotional development among students.

Feedback and Critical Thinking Remain Key Challenges

Instructional practices, in particular, were found to be in need of improvement. Teachers were somewhat effective in facilitating lessons, with an average score of 3.2, but they were less proficient in checking for understanding (scoring 2.7) and even worse at encouraging critical thinking (scoring 2.4). The feedback given to students was another area of concern, with teachers scoring just 1.8 in this area, indicating that many fail to provide clear or constructive feedback that could help students improve. In fact, many teachers simply move on when students provide incorrect answers, without taking the time to explain why the answer was wrong or how to correct it. This lack of engagement could have long-term consequences for student learning outcomes, as students may not fully understand the material being taught.

Socioemotional Skills: A Critical Area for Improvement

Socioemotional skills are another area where teachers in Indonesia struggle. On average, teachers scored only 2.1 out of 5, with particularly low scores in fostering student autonomy (2.5), perseverance (2.2), and social collaboration (1.6). This is troubling because socioemotional skills are critical for students’ overall development, both inside and outside the classroom. Students who lack these skills may find it difficult to work collaboratively, persevere through challenges, or take initiative in their learning. The low scores in this area suggest that teachers are not doing enough to promote these essential skills, which could affect students' ability to thrive in the future.

Disparities in Teaching: Gender, Location, and Curriculum Matter

The study also highlighted disparities in teaching quality based on various factors, including gender, location, and education level. Female teachers generally outperformed their male counterparts, especially in the area of socioemotional skills, suggesting that they may be more adept at fostering collaborative and supportive learning environments. Similarly, teachers with higher education levels tended to score better overall, particularly in instruction and socioemotional skills. This suggests that more targeted training for teachers with lower levels of education could help improve their performance in these areas. A clear urban-rural divide also emerged from the data, with urban teachers outperforming rural teachers in several key areas. For instance, urban teachers scored higher in both classroom culture and instruction, particularly in their ability to foster critical thinking. This disparity suggests that rural teachers may lack access to the same resources and training opportunities as their urban counterparts, which could be contributing to the lower scores. However, rural teachers performed slightly better in promoting social and collaborative skills, perhaps reflecting a stronger sense of community in rural areas.

Curriculum Choices Impact Teaching Quality

Curriculum choices also played a significant role in teaching effectiveness. Teachers working under the new Merdeka Curriculum generally scored higher in areas like lesson facilitation and critical thinking compared to those still using the older KTSP 2013 curriculum. This suggests that the more modern curriculum may be better aligned with effective teaching practices, but it also highlights the need for more consistent implementation across the country. Additionally, the study found that teachers in mathematics tended to score higher than those teaching other subjects, indicating that some subjects may lend themselves more easily to effective teaching practices than others. The study concludes that while Indonesian teachers are generally effective at creating a positive classroom environment, there is significant room for improvement in both instruction and socioemotional skills. Tailored teacher training programs are recommended to address these gaps, with a particular focus on helping teachers in rural areas and those using older curricula. Policymakers are also encouraged to align curricula more closely with modern teaching methodologies to help bridge the gap between urban and rural schools and to improve teaching practices across the board. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to enhance the overall quality of education in Indonesia, particularly in the areas of instruction and socioemotional development.