Teaching Quality in Indonesia: What Needs to Be Improved?

Abstract

AbstractBased on international testing results (e.g., PISA, 2015; TIMSS, 2015), the performance of Indonesian students remains poor. The low quality of education in Indonesia is determined by many factors, including the teacher’s quality. Teachers have a very strategic role in the learning process. Effective teaching behavior is used as an indicator of teaching quality and is the main target of this study, which is needed to improve the teaching quality of teachers in Indonesia. Research on effective, evidence-based, teaching behavior has identified six domains of effective teaching behavior, which are relevant to the Indonesian context. In this chapter, we will describe Indonesian secondary school teachers’ teaching behavior based on trained observers’ and students’ reports. The ICALT and My Teacher Questionnaire were used to gather data across 13 provinces in Indonesia, covering about 375 teachers and 6410 students. The quality level of effective teaching behavior was examined, and similarities and differences between observers and student reports were discussed. This study result shows the profile of teacher teaching quality in Indonesia that can be used as a basis for policy making related to improving teaching and professional development of teachers in Indonesia.