The Implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum in Islamic Religious Education: A Study at a Junior High School in Blang Kejeren

Abstract

The introduction of the Merdeka Curriculum has reshaped how Indonesian schools translate national educational aspirations into classroom practice, yet its uptake within Islamic Religious Education (Pendidikan Agama Islam) in geographically peripheral districts remains poorly understood. This study examines how teachers at a junior high school in Blang Kejeren, Gayo Lues Regency, Aceh, enact the Merdeka Curriculum in Islamic Religious Education, and identifies the enabling and constraining conditions that shape that enactment. Employing a qualitative case-study design, data were generated through semi-structured interviews with six teachers and two school leaders, non-participant classroom observation, and documentary analysis of lesson plans and school policy artefacts. Data were analyzed thematically using the Braun and Clarke framework with the assistance of NVivo, and trustworthiness was secured through triangulation, member checking, and an audit trail. Findings indicate that teachers embraced the curriculum's differentiated and student-centered orientation conceptually but operationalized it unevenly, constrained by limited professional development, scarce contextualized teaching materials, and assessment routines that reverted to conventional cognitive testing. The Pancasila Student Profile was interpreted largely through a moral-religious lens congruent with local Gayo values, producing a distinctive vernacular adaptation of national policy. The study contributes a situated account of curriculum enactment at the intersection of national reform and local religious culture, extending policy-enactment theory to an under-researched peripheral Islamic-education setting. Practically, the findings underscore the need for context-sensitive teacher support and locally grounded assessment guidance.