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Educational Management and Curriculum Development in Indonesian

Context
Dr. Enas, MM

Postgraduate School, Galuh University, Ciamis, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Educational management/administration basically refers to the implementation of management and


administration in organizing, managing, and preparing resources in educational contexts. The function of
educational administration is then to integrate all the existing resources in certain social contexts which is
typically different from other types of management. In a sense, management includes the integration of
planning, implementing, and controlling process of human resources, other resources, learning resources,
facilities, and funds to achieve productive educational objective for the sake of individual and institutional
levels. Educational management is concerned with specific organizational context such as schools
whereby educational administration functions as a framework to achieve the identified goals. In terms of
educational organization, educational administration can be divided into three: institutional, managerial,
and technical, each of which refers to coordination between institutions, leaderships, and learning process,
respectively. Broadly speaking, educational management covers all aspects of educational implementation
that embraces all potentials of physical, financial, and human resources. Practically, in the context of
Indonesian educational system, the time frame has witnessed the shifts in curricular changes from old to
new trends, from 1975 Curriculum (that is teacher-centered), to 1994 Curriculum, Competency-Based,
School-Based, and 2013 Curriculum, all of which are student-centered. The directions of each curriculum
have entailed different approaches to strategic management in an effort of successfully implementing
them. Yet, each trend has been limited to its own nature and thus has its own strengths and weaknesses,
with reference to successful learning process in classrooms.

Key words: educational management, resources, curriculum, learning process

Introduction

Educational management is relatively new discipline that is originally rooted from educational
administration. The discipline academically needs supportive empirical analyses and relevant studies.
Educational management/administration basically refers to the implementation of management and
administration in organizing, managing, and preparing resources in educational contexts. The function of
educational administration is then to integrate all the existing resources in certain social contexts, which is
typically different from other types of management. In a sense, management includes the integration of
planning, implementing, and controlling process of human resources, other resources, learning resources,
facilities, and funds to achieve productive educational objective for the sake of individual and institutional
levels.

Educational management is closely related to curriculum development and politically influenced by


government policy that shapes its directions and implementation, which is in line with employed and
executed educational system. In Indonesia, to date, curriculum development is also practically controlled
by its relevant departments. It is admitted that the Indonesian education system is managed by two
ministries, the Ministry of Education and Culture and Ministry of Religion (see Tobias et al., 2014). The
latter is normally responsible for religious schools. Ways of approaching to quality improvement is also
under the two departments.

Historically the changes of Indonesian curriculum reflect its own sociopolitical views that build its
own philosophical bases. Each period and trend of the existing curriculum has its own characteristics in
terms of visions, missions, and strategies that the state promotes with regard to national objectives of
education. Suratno (2014) gives notes on the centralized (1975-1994) and decentralized curriculum
(2005-up to now). The former tended to be more teacher-centered, while the latter student-centered. In
executing the second type of approach, grass-rooted curriculum development needs facilitating to
promote teachers total involvements in creating conducive classroom practices.

To increase education quality school and classroom reforms should be made. More specifically,
Jawas (2014) argues that in practice school reforms should be done by principals as adjusted to
sociocultural factors. In addition, school reforms refer to curriculum, teachers professionalism, learning
facilities, students learning outcomes.

Educational Management and Curriculum Development: Revisited

The concept of educational management needs revisiting. Bush (2006) argues that educational
management is a field of study and practice concerned with operation of educational organization. In a
sense, this discipline is the one that studies the working procedures and how to utilize the resources of the
institution (system) to achieve educational productivity (thus, output is better than input). In addition, the
scope of educational management covers applying, developing, and sensibly finding correct concepts in
practice.

Successful educational management at any level of education is dependent on leadership. Bush


(2008) argues that leadership is needed in educational management in that such issues as equality,
inclusion and diversity become salient points. The role of school principals/managers in creating best
classroom practices is central. She/he should function as a mode in teaching. Instructional leadership
thus plays an important role. That is why leadership needs systematic development. The process of
preparing leadership can include such ways as leadership succession, preparation, selection, induction,
and ongoing in-service development.

Educational management is recognized as a comprehensive process. It normally involves such


elements as follows: professional education, educational stakeholders, globalization process, labor
market, national education system, teacher training institution, and IT developments. Those mentioned
external points give significant influences to the expected educational management quality. However, the
role of teachers positive perceptions of the merits of curriculum plays very important roles in improving
curriculum (see Elvyanti, 2012). At the same time, leadership development is done as the starting point.

In carrying out the curriculum, teachers professionalism is central. It will affect students
potentials of becoming successful learners. Conducive and democratic classroom interactions will be
evident if the teacher can professionally create it. Muthim (2014) suggests that teachers professionalism
include technical knowledge, pedagogical skills, interpersonal skills, and personal qualities. As evidences
indicate, Muthin further claims, curriculum changes are still perceived as complicated accounts.
Theoretical and Practical Issues in Indonesian Context

The curriculum in Indonesia has witnessed significant changes. As the time frame of curriculum
analysis shows, the changes have taken place from independence time up to now. There have been
different notions of curriculum in Indonesian system of education: the 1975 curriculum, 1994 curriculum,
Competence-Based Curriculum (in 2004), School-Based Curriculum (the so-called Kurikulum Tingkat
Satuan Pendidikan/KTSP in 2006), and 2013 Curriculum, which is recently renewed.

The changes of any curriculum consequently affect teachers classroom management of creating
learning process. Utomo (2005) argues that the implementation of curriculum will depend on teachers
quality; so teacher training and teachers quality improvement needs developing. The good training can
be in-service and short course programs, as well as taking degrees (Master and Doctor) in relevant
subjects.

In the context of Indonesian educational management, decentralization in education gives very a lot
of impacts to systemic management of implementing and evaluating. Urbanovic and Patapas (2012)
affirm that decentralization process in education entails educational management system. The role of
teachers, school principals, supervisors, educational local office heads, provincial heads of education, and
ministerial boards, has its own supportive agent in coordinating the achieved programs.

The current curriculum issues have centered on the process of developing 2013 curriculum. The
steps included such elements: national educational objectives, internal and external challenges, by
reinforcing mindset and governance management, material understanding and exploring, process of
reinforcing and working adjustment, to revisit 2004 and 2006 curriculum strands. The problematic
classroom practices have to do with such kind of classroom management. Regarding 2013 curriculum,
Retnawati et al. (2016) claim that teachers face difficulties in implementing its assessment strategies.

Conclusion

Educational management as the strategic breakthrough of educational administration has close


relationship with implementation of curriculum. The implementation of certain existing curriculum will
much affects educational management at any level of education that demands instructional leadership.
Successful implementation of certain curriculum is also virtually dependent on the professional teachers
in creating conducive classroom atmosphere. Teachers professionalism needs comprehensive
development undertaken by well-coordinated training agencies.

References

Bush, T. (2006). Theories of educational management. http://cnx.org/content/m13867/1.1

Bush, T. (2008). Leadership and management development. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Elvyanti, S. (2012). The impact from the implementation of the new curriculum for technical and
vocational schools in Indonesia. Unpublished PhD thesis. Faculty of Technologocal and Vocational
Education, University of Tun Hussen Onn, Malaysia.
Jawas, U. (2014). Instructional leadership in Indonesian school reform: Local perceptions and practices.
Unpublished PhD thesis, Faculty of Education, Science, Technology & Maths, University of
Camberra.

Muthim, A. (2014). Undestanding and responding to the change of curriculum in the context of
Indonesian education. American Journal of Educational Research, 11(2), 1094-1099. Doi:
10.1269/education-2-11-15.i,

Retnawati, H, Hadi, S. and Nugraha, A. C. (2016). Vocational high school teachers difficulties in
implementing the assessment in curriculum 2013 in Yogyakarta province of Indonesia. International
Journal of Instruction, 9(1), 33-48.

Suratno, T. (2014). The education system in Indonesia at a time of significant changes. Revue
Internationale deducation de Sevres. Retrieved from revues.org.

Tobias, J., Wales, J., Syamsulhakim, E., and Suharti. (2014). Towards better education quality:
Indonesias promising path. London: Overseas Development Institute.

Urbanovic, J. and Patapas, A. (2012). Decentralisation reforms of education management: Theoretical and
practical issues. Public Policy and Administration, 11(4), 659-671.

Utomo, E. (2005). Challenges of curriculum reform in the context of decentralization: The response of
teachers to a competence-based curriculum and its implementation in schools. Unpublished
Dissertation. School of Education, University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Enas, MM graduated from undergraduate program in Finance Management from Indonesia Institute
of Cooperative Studies at Bandung (IKOPIN) in 1992, earned his masters degree in Marketing
Management from ARS University Bandung in 2000, and got his Ph.D in Educational Management from
Nusantara Islamic University of Bandung in 2011. He is now the director of Postgraduate program of
Galuh University.

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