Exploring Grade Two Teachers’ Interpretation of New Curriculum Pedagogical Concepts in the Teaching of Writing

This paper aims to discover teachers’ interpretation of the pedagogical concepts informing the underlying philosophical framework of the curriculum implemented in Indonesia when the study on which this paper is based was conducted. The curriculum was Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan (KTSP), meaning school-based curriculum. The teachers’ understandings of the pedagogical concepts were examined using the setting of writing lesson teaching in grade 2. The study used a qualitative method that involved 10 grade two teachers from 10 elementary schools in Makassar, Indonesia. Data collection techniques were classroom observations, informal discussion at the end of each observation, and interviews. Although the KTSP committed to distance from a traditional view of teaching and learning, the study found that the teachers’ interpretations of the pedagogical concepts of the KTSP in the teaching of writing appeared to echo this view. The study also found that the teachers interpreted the pedagogical concepts through competencies of writing lesson that grade two students should achieve. Although other forms of curricula have replaced the KTSP, the findings from this study could inform the government and other relevant decision-makers about teachers’ difficulties in understanding change that will have an implication on policy and practice regarding the support given to teachers in implementing existing and future curricula in Indonesia and different contexts.