The Merdeka Curriculum has been implemented at all primary and secondary education levels in Indonesia since the 2022/2023 school year. However, many subject teachers still report obstacles in its implementation, mainly to ensure that they have taken the proper steps. As a teacher, learning tools form the basis for implementing learning in the classroom so that the flow of goals to be achieved and evaluated must be identified. The observations of several teachers show that there are still many misconceptions about this, so community service is carried out to empower teacher skills through backward design lesson plans for the Implementation of the Independent Curriculum. Backward design is a lesson planning method rooted in student-centered learning objectives and does not just focus on national standards.
The community service activity was carried out by the RG Innovation in Science Classroom Service Team consisting of Dr. Riezky Maya Probosari, S.Si., M.Si., Dr. paed. Nurma Yunita Indriyanti, M.Si., M.Sc., Dr. Supurwoko, M.Sc., Dr. Budi Utami, M.Pd., Annisa Nur Khasanah, S.Pd., M.Pd., and Isma Azis Fakhrudin, S.Pd., M.Pd at SMPN 3 Cepogo One Roof, Boyolali. The dedication activity was carried out for three days, from June 20 to June 22, 2023, with 21 teachers participating. The short-term goal expected in this service is that teachers can make learning devices according to the backward design flow and implement them in their subjects. Meanwhile, the long-term goal is that teachers can reflect and consistently innovate in planning, designing, and implementing learning following the spirit of the Merdeka curriculum.
In detail, service activities include:
- The first day, held on June 20, 2023
The activity was a workshop on the Preparation of Independent Curriculum Teaching Modules with Dr. Riezky Maya Probosari, S.Si., M.Sc. as the speaker. Participants listen to explanations about why there are changes to the curriculum, the learning principles of the Independent Curriculum, lesson planning, preparation of objectives and learning objectives, and the preparation of teaching modules and their assessment instruments.
After that, the activity continued with Disaster Mitigation Learning material with Dr. paed. Nurma Yunita Indriyanti, M.Si., M.Sc. The speaker conveyed how to integrate disaster mitigation in intradisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary ways in learning the Independent Curriculum. In addition to presenting the disaster management cycle, the speaker invited participants to listen to the Inarisk website from the National Disaster Management Agency and underlined that disaster risk mapping can be used for all subjects.
- The second day, held on June 21, 2023
The workshop was Implementing Local Wisdom in Learning with Annisa Nur Khasanah, S.Pd., M.Pd as the speaker. The material presented includes local wisdom, local culture, ethnoscience, and local potential. These materials linked to subjects to be contextual and meaningful learning.
After that, the activity continued with the material for the Preparation of Humane Learning Devices with Dr. Supurwoko, M.Sc. The presenter explained that learning in all fields must pay attention to students’ characteristics and uniqueness so that teachers can optimize learning according to the expected goals.
- The third day, held on June 22, 2023
The material for the community service activities was the preparation of a self-assessment to strengthen the Pancasila Student Project with Isma Azis Fakhrudin, S.Pd., M.Pd as the speaker. The presenter conveys the problems teachers often face, namely differentiating the concepts of measurement, assessment, and evaluation. On this occasion, the presenters also escorted the teachers to prepare self-assessments related to the Pancasila Student Profile.
After that, the activity was continued with material on Designing Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) Based Learning with Dr. Budi Utami, M.Pd. The speaker conveys why HOTS-based learning is essential and how the steps for compiling learning practices follow the expected thinking skills.
