EHE News
Indonesia launches massive initiative to certify teachers
USINTEC American Executive Director Sue Dechow (second row, second from right) and visiting teacher education scholars from Indonesia at Arps Hall, January 2010.
Indonesia has plans to certify 2.7 million teachers in the next 10 years.
The bold legislative move represents the first effort to create a system of teacher certification since formation of the country's university system in 1945 after independence from the Dutch.
This formidable task demands not only developing new programs to certify current and future teachers, but also upgrading the educational levels and knowledge of university lecturers who prepare them, says Sue Dechow, Teaching and Learning. She has spent 23 years representing Ohio State in consistent service to teacher educators at Indonesian universities, more than any other U.S. university.
In 2006, Dechow initiated development of the U.S./Indonesia Teacher Education Consortium (USINTEC), a bi-national higher education consortium. The presidents of 12 Indonesian universities, Ohio State, two more U.S. universities, plus a Southeast Asia regional center signed a memorandum of agreement to collaborate. The consortium, with Dechow as the American executive director, strives to enhance teacher preparation and teacher quality in Indonesia.
Bilateral benefits
The climate is right for the USINTEC collaboration, thanks to a new bilateral partnership being established between the United States and the Indonesian government. In education, the countries are focused on encouraging higher education exchange.
Since 2006, USINTEC has focused on helping Indonesia move toward meeting its teacher certification goals. An essential component of the initiative is bringing Indonesian teacher educators to Ohio State to improve the quality of their work through access to the vast resources of a high-level research university. Funding is provided through individual scholarships from Indonesia's Ministry of National Education.
In addition, USINTEC partner institutions are developing an international dual master's degree program. Indonesian students will earn both U.S. and Indonesian degrees. The program will enable U.S. and Indonesian faculty and students to teach and study in both countries, promoting true global exchange.
Professor Mukhaiyar,* director of graduate programs, State University of Padang, visited EHE in October 2009 to discuss program plans with Dechow. "By developing our teacher educators, we expect to see a beneficial impact on the process of teaching in our schools," he says. "Our mindset is changed about how teachers develop their programs. We must move from conventional to modern ways of thinking."
Two Indonesian educators epitomize globally engaged scholars
The current initiative brought 77 Indonesian educators to EHE for study from October 2009 to February 2010. Forty-seven of the educators are working on doctoral dissertations. The other 30 are postdoctoral scholars working on books or articles.
Among the doctoral students was Arita Marini, a lecturer at the State University of Jakarta. She and her colleagues epitomize the modern, motivated scholar whom their government has charged with becoming agents of change. While here, each scholar worked with an advisor. Marini studied with Associate Professor Helen Marks, Educational Policy and Leadership.
Associate Professor Helen Marks, Educational Policy and Leadership, served as advisor to visiting doctoral scholar Arita Marini, lecturer at the State University of Jakarta.
"This program is very worthwhile," Marini says. "The many lectures and seminars I attended improved my knowledge about research related to my dissertation topic, educational management. I enjoyed the library because in Indonesia, we have limited access to new books and journals. I consulted with Dr. Marks, and she has helped me perfect my dissertation."
Marini says that while here, she saw two-way communication between faculty and students, with students freely giving their opinions. In Indonesia, students do not communicate as freely with their advisors. "I expect to implement what I learned at Ohio State in my teaching," she says.
Marks and Marini met regularly during the visit. "I introduced her to relevant research literature and challenged her thinking about her study," Marks says. "When she presented her work at a seminar for her colleagues, she was ready for their questions. These experiences will give her more confidence when she defends her dissertation back home."
Hartono,* who earned a master's degree in education from EHE in 1996, agrees with Professor Mukhaiyar that the program enhanced his professional abilities. As a faculty lecturer, he prepares elementary teachers in science education at the University of Sriwijaya, South Sumatra, Indonesia. Since earning his degree, he has also served as editorial vice chairman of a leading educational journal in Indonesia, director of Diploma II in Elementary Teacher Education, a consultant to basic education projects and a national grant laboratory reviewer.
Hartono was pleased to return to Ohio State with his colleagues in October 2008 for a dissertation enrichment experience. He says it helped him improve his research on the effectiveness of blending face-to-face learning with online strategies in teacher education.
"Putting teaching materials on the Web is a new delivery strategy in Indonesia," Hartono says. "Because it is effective and efficient, especially for our archipelago country, I will campaign for lecturers to use it in their classes."
While here, Hartono studied with Associate Professor Kathy Cabe Trundle, Teaching and Learning, who specializes in science education, particularly at the elementary level. "I enjoyed working with Hartono because our research interests in integrating technology into science education and teacher professional development were very closely aligned," says Trundle. "I was pleased to be able to support the design of his study."
Marks sums up the faculty point of view, stating that she is impressed with Arita and the other visiting teacher educators. "Indonesia represents a modern, democratic society that holds Islamic beliefs," she says. "I find the Indonesian educators are very contemporary in their views. As a faculty member, my world is bigger because I've learned from them about another system of education in our global society. It's a mutually beneficial experience."
* Mukhaiyar and Hartono have only one name, as is the practice of some Indonesians.
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