Exploring the implementation of the new literacy policy in primary schools in Indonesia a case study

Abstract

Nurturing literacy skills in the early years has been extensively studied and demonstrated to contribute to children's success in the later stages of life. The importance of literacy invites government initiatives to provide research-based literacy programs at schools. However, most of literacy reform initiatives reported to have many issues. While similar literacy initiatives have been massively implemented globally, the literature suggests the issues range from the formulation to the implementation process. Therefore, the more comprehensive approach to see the literacy policy is needed to understand the complexity of the process.

This study aims to explore the implementation of literacy policy in the context of Indonesian primary schools. The research questions focus on understanding the factors influencing the formulation of the literacy policy, the conceptualization of literacy in policy documents, and how teachers implement the literacy policy, including their knowledge and perception, their practices, and the challenges they encounter when implementing the policy.

Since the study is explorative in nature, this study utilizes a qualitative case study design. The data collection method includes document analysis of policy documents related to the current literacy policies, semi-structured interviews with policymakers, and questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with teachers. The data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method.

The finding from the study reveals the historical context and factors leading to the formulation of the current literacy policies in Indonesia. Besides, how the conception of literacy intersects with the current literacy research was presented by analyzing the policy documents. Finally, the study highlighted teachers’ practices and discussed the unintended consequences related to inequity in access to knowledge and resources. While the government has prioritized literacy to be embed across curriculum in Indonesian primary schools, teachers’ challenges need to be addressed to ensure successful implementation.