Zulfi Hendri

6.15 The Current Trend of MBKM and Inter/Transdisciplinary Pedagogy in Indonesia: An Intersubjectivity Approach for Inclusion of Art Education in Pre-Service Education Curriculum (Paper)

Zulfi Hendri – Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia 

Shei-Chau Wang – Northern Illinois University, USA 

Dwi Wulandari – Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Abstract:

This study aims to investigate the current implementation of the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka program (MBKM, i.e., Independent Learning, Independent Campus) in higher education in Indonesia. The concept of MBKM in art education is to integrate art teaching methods in the pre-service teacher education curriculum, emphasising inter- and transdisciplinary pedagogy. The MBKM initiative enables students to take academic courses and practicums outside their primary study program for three semesters, where students develop a broader vision of teaching and learning through applying their knowledge to diverse fields and experiential learning. To achieve this goal, each teacher education unit has to restructure its curriculum to allow students from other major areas to enrol in their courses. To fulfil this goal, the Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta’s Art Education department started implementing the MBKM curriculum in 2020 for students in that year’s intake, and MBKM courses for the Independent Student Exchange began to be offered in 2022 when students in that intake were in their fifth semester. Those MBKM courses define the objectives as fostering creativity, empathy, and cultural awareness, hoping to equip future teachers with versatile pedagogical skills. Adopting a mixed-method approach to examine the development of students’ skills and engagement after taking MBKM art education courses, this case study collects data via online surveys and classroom observations in person to examine participants’ perceptions of creativity, empathy, and pedagogical adaptability. The data analysis indicates that art education enhances critical competencies, such as problem-solving and holistic thinking, broadens participants’ perspectives in creative fields, and enriches their professional preparation.