Change is essentially about driving improvements in teaching and learning practices; however, not all changes lead to better outcomes (Marsh, 2004). Within Indonesia’s education system, credible and independent research on education policy highlights that past reforms have largely failed to shift teachers’ paradigms, beliefs, behaviours, and classroom teaching and learning practices (Bjork, 2003; Cannon & Hore, 1997; Malcolm, McLean, Tanuputra, & Harlen, 2001; Curriculum Centre, 2007; Semiawan, 2001; Van Der Werf, Creemers, De Jong & Klaver, 2000).

To address this issue, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (MoECRT), through the Directorate of Senior High Schools, has launched the Learning Transformation Movement, which aims to facilitate local governments and schools (principals, teachers, local government facilitators and administrators) to collaboratively and consultatively — in a non-hierarchical, empowering, and persuasive manner — realise learning transformation through the concept of learning communities. Through both intra- and inter-school learning communities, stakeholders collaborate to identify existing conditions, challenges, and problems in schools related to learning transformation.

Nusa Widyantara supports the Directorate of Senior High Schools in developing a Facilitator Mentoring Module and implementing strategies to achieve sustainable learning transformation in schools participating in the Learning Transformation Movement. The kick-off for module development and programme implementation began in early April 2024.

We believe that effective mentoring must be grounded in an empowering approach towards teachers and school leaders, with strong involvement of local governments — rather than a top-down, hierarchical approach — so that there is a deeper understanding of the diverse and unique educational problems faced by schools and regions. This approach is expected to foster paradigm shifts and changes in the practices of school principals and teachers in their efforts to improve the quality of teaching and learning processes.

Taq# Behavior and transformation, Policy intervention