The quest for teacher education quality

: stakeholders’ views in a private and state initial teacher education in Indonesia

Abstract

The quality of four-year undergraduate Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Indonesia has been a long-standing issue. Despite repeated calls for improvement, research studies in this context remain disconnected and fragmented. To address this gap, this study explores how stakeholders perceive the quality of ITE regarding strengths, weaknesses, and possibilities for improving the quality of teacher education. Using a mixed methods approach, data was collected from six types of stakeholders, including Deans, Heads of English Departments, educators, student teachers, teacher graduates, and their principals. Data collection involved surveying 409 student teachers and conducting 42 stakeholder interviews. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was applied to analyse the quantitative data, whereas reflexive thematic analysis was employed for the qualitative data.

The study investigated the quality of student intake, program quality, and graduate quality, considering the influential aspects identified in previous literature as key elements contributing to ITE quality. The factors explored included admission process, student motivation, career intentions, vision, coherence, practice opportunities, educator quality, monitoring, evaluation, teacher competencies, teacher challenges, teacher preparedness, and principal satisfaction. Contextual factors were also discussed to identify external factors that affect ITE quality within the institution or within the Indonesian context. The study focused on two high-quality ITE programs to provide insights on evidence-based practices to ITE programs in Indonesia with a similar context. English Departments were chosen since the effectiveness of English teaching in Indonesia were associated with the quality of English teachers graduating from ITE.

The study found that despite the good quality of educators, coherent programs, and a robust monitoring and evaluation system, ITE programs in the study are not yet fit for purpose and transformative. Deans and Heads of English Department emphasized the significance of stakeholders' feedback and embraced changes and challenges as opportunities for improvement. Educators were viewed as the most contributing factor to the quality of ITE, but there were issues with low-stakes admissions and a shifting purpose and content of the ITE program. Moreover, most student teachers did not view teaching as a career priority. Teacher graduates faced difficulties in classroom management and teaching methods, while principals indicated that teacher competencies are not the sole criteria to become teachers. Values, 21st century skills, a growth mindset, and critical thinking were identified as crucial for future teachers. The study concludes that an alternative approach called Intellectual-Based Teacher Education (IBTE) could enhance the quality of ITE by developing competent teachers who could thrive in the teaching profession, stay longer, and contribute to the quality of education.

The study makes an original contribution to knowledge by providing a comprehensive picture of the quality of ITE programs in Indonesia from multiple perspectives and aspects. The study provides valuable insights into evidence-based practices for improving ITE programs in Indonesia and those with a similar context. Although the study is limited in scope, this exploratory study is valuable due to the lack of previous similar research. Nevertheless, unjustified claims are not made beyond this context. The study highlights the need for ITE programs in Indonesia to align their policies and practices with a long-term vision to effectively prepare and improve the quality of teachers in Indonesia.

Date of Award	3 Oct 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Angeline M Barrett (Supervisor) & Sally M Thomas (Supervisor)