Leadership Readiness for Independent Curriculum Implementation in Indonesian Early Childhood Education Institutions

Rosyida Nurul Anwar

doi:10.35719/gns.v6i1.198

Authors

Rosyida Nurul Anwar Universitas PGRI Madiun

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35719/gns.v6i1.198

Keywords:

school leadership, independent curriculum, early childhood education

Abstract

This study explores the readiness of kindergarten principals in Madiun Regency, Indonesia, to implement the Independent Curriculum (Kurikulum Merdeka) in early childhood education institutions. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, observations, and document analysis from 304 kindergartens. The findings show that principals demonstrated readiness by participating in curriculum training, encouraging independent learning through the Merdeka Mengajar Platform, organizing comparative studies with School Mover Program (PSP) institutions, initiating learning communities, improving learning infrastructure, and engaging parents and stakeholders. These efforts reflect a proactive commitment to fostering student-centered and developmentally appropriate practices in line with the Independent Curriculum. The study highlights the pivotal role of school principals in leading systemic educational reform at the early childhood level and emphasizes the importance of leadership, collaboration, and contextual adaptation. It recommends strengthening differentiated instruction, family-school partnerships, and project-based learning to ensure sustainable curriculum integration.

References

Abubakar, S. R., & Sahriana, N. (2022). Kompetensi Manajerial pada Kepala Taman Kanak-Kanak. Jurnal Smart Paud, 5(2), 107–116. https://doi.org/10.36709/jspaud.v5i2.7

Aisah, I., Nurhayati, S., & Rukanda, N. (2024). ECCE Principals’ Strategy to Improve Teacher Competence in Implementing the Independent Curriculum. JURNAL INDRIA (Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Prasekolah Dan Sekolah Awal), 9(1), 18–31. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.24269/jin.v9i1.8197

Anwar, R. N. (2022a). Pelatihan Implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka pada Guru di Lembaga Paud Se-Kecamatan Madiun. Communautaire: Journal of Community Service, 01(01), 21–29. https://doi.org/10.61987/communautaire.v1i1.7

Anwar, R. N. (2022b). Persepsi Guru Paud Terhadap Pembelajaran Paradigma Baru Melalui Kurikulum Merdeka. Azzahra: Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 3(2), 98–109.

Anwar, R. N. (2024). Pelatihan Pengenalan Artificial Intelligence (AI) untuk Meningkatkan Kompetensi Guru pada Transformasi Digital. Journal of Smart Community Service, 2(1), 27–36.

Anwar, R. N. (2021). Keterlibatan Orangtua dalam Membentuk Disiplin Ibadah Sholat Anak Usia Dini di Era New Normal. KoPeN: Konferensi Pendidikan Nasional, 1–7.

Anwar, R. N., Agusrini, P. A., & Aulia, S. T. (2022). Pelatihan Media Pembelajaran guna Meningkatkan Kompetensi Mengajar Guru di SMP Negeri 3 Kutorejo. Jumat Pendidikan: Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat, 3(2), 81–85. https://doi.org/10.32764/abdimaspen.v3i2.2644

Anwar, R. N., & Alfina, A. (2019). Manajemen Sumber Daya Manusia Di TK IT Nur Al Izhar Kebonsari (Studi Kasus Pengembangan Guru). Thufuli: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam Anak Usia Dini, I(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.33474/thufuli.v1i2.4876

Barut, M. E. O., & Wijaya, A. (2020). Facilitating pedagogical content knowledge development through professional development intervention. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1581(1), 12062. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1581/1/012062

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Harvard University Press.

Castro-Rodríguez, M. M., Marín-Suelves, D., López-Gómez, S., & Rodríguez-Rodríguez, J. (2021). Mapping of Scientific Production on Blended Learning in Higher Education. In Education Sciences (Vol. 11, Issue 9, p. 494). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11090494

Cordova, G. E. L. (2021). Digital skills and teaching performance. Revista Iberoamericana De Educación, Especial 1. https://doi.org/10.31876/ie.vi.132

Creswell, J. W., Qudsi, S. Z., & Lazuardi, A. L. (2015). Penelitian Kualitatif & Desain Riset?: Memilih Di Antara Lima Pendekatan / John W. Creswell (Editor Saifuddin Zuhri Qudsy (ed.)). Alih Bahasa Ahmad Lintang Lazuardi.

Damayanti, D., & Asbari, M. (2023). Guru Penggerak: Pengembangan Pendidikan melalui Kepemimpinan Guru. JISMA: Journal Of Information Systems and Management, 3(2)(02), 5–10. https://doi.org/10.4444/jisma.v3i2.895

Data.madiunkab.go.id. (2022). Satu Data Kabupaten Madiun. Https://Data.Madiunkab.Go.Id/.

Dingyloudi, F., & and Strijbos, J.-W. (2020). Community Representations in Learning Communities. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 64(7), 1052–1070. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2019.1640788

Domínguez, G. M. (2024). The Beauty of the Unusual: An Architectural Inquiry into the Reggio Emilia Approach. Interchange, 55(4), 383–403. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10780-024-09525-y

Duraku, Z. H., Blakaj, V., Likaj, E. S., Boci, L., & Shtylla, H. (2022). Professional training improves early education teachers’ knowledge, skills, motivation, and self-efficacy. Frontiers in Education, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.980254

El-Astal, M. (2023). What is Curriculum? Building a Broader Understanding of the Term. Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 12(6), 188–196. https://doi.org/10.5430/jct.v12n6p188

El Zaatari, W., & Maalouf, I. (2022). How the Bronfenbrenner Bio-ecological System Theory Explains the Development of Students’ Sense of Belonging to School? SAGE Open, 12(4), 21582440221134090. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221134089

Fabry, A., Barblett, L., & Knaus, M. (2022). The role of early childhood pedagogical leaders in schools: Leading change for ongoing improvement. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 47(4), 275–288. https://doi.org/10.1177/18369391221130788

Grolnick, W. S., & Pomerantz, E. M. (2022). Should parents be involved in their children’s schooling? Theory Into Practice, 61(3), 325–335. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2022.2096382

Hadi, A., Marniati, M., Ngindana, R., Kurdi, M. S., Kurdi, M. S., & Fauziah, F. (2023). New Paradigm of Merdeka Belajar Curriculum in Schools. Al-Ishlah: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 15(2), 1497–1510. https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v15i2.3126

Hadi, M. (2017). Strategi Kepala Sekolah dalam Meningkatkan Mutu Pendidikan pada MIN Buengcala Kecamatan Kuta Baro Kabupaten Aceh Besar. Jurnal Intelektualita, 5(02), 17–26. https://doi.org/10.22373/ji.v5i02.4443

Hamdi, M. M. (2020). Evalusi Kurikulum Pendidikan. Intizam: Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 4(1), 66–75.

Hapsari, N. K., & Khuluqi, H. (2023). Prophetic Parenting: The Relevance of the Concept of Islamic Parenting to the 2013 Curriculum and the “Merdeka Curriculum” in Early Childhood Education Institutions in Indonesia. GENIUS Indonesian Journal of Early Childhood Education, 4(1), 45–64. https://doi.org/10.35719/gns.v4i1.120

Ibad, W. (2024). The Concept of Quality in Curriculum: A Review of The Literature on Determining Curriculum Quality. Jurnal Kependidikan Islam, 14(2), 104–117. https://doi.org/10.15642/jkpi.2024.14.2.104-117

Knowles, M. S. (1980). The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy. Cambridge, The Adult Education Company.

Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511815355

Liu, Mengran, Helen, H., & and Cooper, M. (2024). Effective collaborative learning for early childhood teachers: structural, motivational and sustainable features. Professional Development in Education, 50(2), 420–438. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2023.2235578

Liu, Mengxia, & Yun, H. (2024). Learning Goal Formulation Strategies in the Teaching-learning-assessment Alignment. Journal of Education and Educational Research, 9(1), 224–226. https://doi.org/10.54097/eyr5s444

Mamat, N., Razali, A. R., Hashim, A. T., Awang, M. M., Azman, M. N. A., & Fajrie, N. (2023). A comparing key performance indicator and benchmarks of quality pre-school among the agency in Malaysia. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE), 12(1), 505–516. http://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v12i1.23879

Masykur, R. (2019). Teori dan Telaah Pengembangan Kurikulum. Aura.

Mazikana, A. T. (2023). The role of parental involvement at ECD level at your school. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4378470

McMullan, J. (2020). A New Understanding of ‘New Media’: Online Platforms as Digital Mediums. Convergence, 26(2), 287–301. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856517738159

Minsih, M., Fuadi, D., & Rohmah, N. D. (2023). Character Education Through an Independent Curriculum. AL-ISHLAH: Jurnal Pendidikan, 15(1), 597–602. https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v15i1.2812

Mutiani, M., Warmansyah Abbas, E., Syaharuddin, S., & Susanto, H. (2020). Membangun Komunitas Belajar Melalui Lesson Study Model Transcript Based Learning Analysis (TBLA) dalam Pembelajaran Sejarah. Historia: Jurnal Pendidik Dan Peneliti Sejarah, 3(2), 113–122. https://doi.org/10.17509/historia.v3i2.23440

Özdemir, N. (2020). How to improve teachers’ instructional practices: the role of professional learning activities, classroom observation and leadership content knowledge in Turkey. Journal of Educational Administration, 58(6), 585–603. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-10-2019-0189

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Kathleen, K., & and Hodgins, B. D. (2023). A qualitative examination of early childhood educators’ participation in professional learning: investigating social constructionist understandings of quality. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 44(3), 484–509. https://doi.org/10.1080/10901027.2022.2099324

Rahayuningsih, S., & Rijanto, A. (2022). Upaya Peningkatan Kompetensi Kepala Sekolah sebagai Pemimpin Pembelajaran pada Program Sekolah Penggerak di Nganjuk. JAMU?: Jurnal Abdi Masyarakat UMUS, 2(02), 120–126. https://doi.org/10.46772/jamu.v2i02.625

Rahma, N. D., Jannah, S. R., & Zukhairina, S. (2022). Kepemimpinan Kepala Sekolah Dalam Peningkatan Kompetensi Pedagogik Guru. Jurnal Smart Paud, 5(2), 156–169. https://doi.org/10.36709/jspaud.v5i2.24

Rahmah, L., Purwanta, E., Wijayanti, W., & Suhardiman, S. (2024). Navigating the Curriculum Landscape: The Impact of Curriculum 2013 and Merdeka Curriculum on Teachers’ and Students’ Learning Outcomes in Indonesia. Journal of Ecohumanism, 3(6), 917–931. https://doi.org/10.62754/joe.v3i6.4061

Rashid, S., & Yadav, S. S. (2020). Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Higher Education and Research. Indian Journal of Human Development, 14(2), 340–343. https://doi.org/10.1177/0973703020946700

Safitri, R. N., Pranoto, Y. K. S., & Setiawan, D. (2023). Implementation of the Project to Strengthening the Pancasila Student Profiles in Kindergartens in Pemalang Regency. International Journal of Research and Review, 10(12), 864–882. https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20231287

Sari, A. S. L., Pramesti, C., Suryanti, & R.S., R. S. (2022). Sosialisasi Platform Merdeka Mengajar Sebagai Wadah Belajar Dan Berkreasi Guru. Jurnal Penamas Adi Buana, 6(01), 63–72. https://doi.org/10.36456/penamas.vol6.no01.a6105

Senent, I. G., Kendra, K., & and Abo-Zena, M. M. (2021). Sustaining curiosity: Reggio-Emilia inspired learning. Early Child Development and Care, 191(7–8), 1247–1258. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2021.1900835

Stofkova, J., Poliakova, A., Stofkova, K. R., Malega, P., Krejnus, M., Binasova, V., & Daneshjo, N. (2022). Digital Skills as a Significant Factor of Human Resources Development. In Sustainability (Vol. 14, Issue 20). https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013117

Suriyati, C., & Lubis, M. D. A. (2023). Penanaman Nilai-Nilai Pancasila Melalui Kurikulum Merdeka. JIIP - Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Pendidikan, 6(10), 7710–7716. https://doi.org/10.54371/jiip.v6i10.2996

Triwiyanto, T. (2021). Manajemen Kurikulum dan Pembelajaran (Y. N. I. Sari (ed.)). Bumi Aksara.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes (M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner, & E. Souberman (eds.)). Harvard University Press.