Implementation of Grassroots Curriculum Development Model in Indonesia: A Literature Review

• Hafizh Khasyi Al Farizi

  Indonesia University of Education

  Author

This study examines the implementation of grassroots curriculum development model in Indonesia through literature review method. The grassroots model emphasizes a bottom-up approach involving active participation of teachers, students, and local communities in developing curriculum that is responsive to contextual needs. Educational decentralization in Indonesia provides autonomy for teachers to develop curricula relevant to local conditions, which is strengthened through the implementation of Kurikulum Merdeka in 2022. This literature review analyzes journal articles from 2020–2025 period sourced from SINTA, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases, as well as theoretical literature and policy documents using thematic content analysis. Research findings indicate that the grassroots model has strong potential to produce contextual and inclusive curricula that support future-ready education. The implementation of Kurikulum Merdeka demonstrates the strengthening of teachers' roles as primary curriculum developers, although it still faces structural and individual challenges such as limited teacher competencies, inadequate training, insufficient infrastructure, and resistance to change. Success factors supporting implementation include school leadership support, development of professional learning communities, consistent policies, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. This study recommends a holistic approach through sustainable and contextual teacher capacity building, strengthening school leadership support, measured central-local policy harmonization, and development of participatory evaluation mechanisms to optimize the implementation of grassroots-based curriculum development model in Indonesia.

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