Identifying Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions of the Maker Mindset in Indonesian International Schools

Jason R Graham

The purpose of this qualitative research study is to explore teachers’ perceptions of the maker mindset in international schools in Jakarta, Indonesia. International schools in Indonesia have gained popularity over the years, offering education based on foreign curricula, such as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), Cambridge, or American systems. These schools attract expatriate families, as well as Indonesian students seeking a global education. Located primarily in major cities like Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bali, these schools are known for their diverse student population, modern facilities, and emphasis on critical thinking and global citizenship. This exploratory case study holds importance for both educators and educational leaders as it sheds light on how teacher perceptions influence a maker culture and offers valuable insights into how educators implement maker-centred learning in their schools. This exploratory case study brings Seymour Papert’s constructionism and Uri Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to a new area, namely the Indonesian context, to interpret how a maker mindset is perceived to be enacted in Indonesian international schools thus gaining fresh perspectives and insights into contextual influences. This research used 12 semi structured homeroom teacher interviews from a pool of 20 international schools to gather information about teacher perceptions of makerspaces and maker mindset. Findings point to the ways in which educators considered the maker mindset essential for promoting creativity, problem-solving, and experiential learning. In addition, teachers perceived leadership and adequate resources as facilitators of a maker mindset while citing lack of time, low leadership support and a crowded curriculum as barriers to the enactment of a maker mindset. This unveiling of teacher perceptions is crucial in the realm of education as it emphasises the significance of incorporating maker centred learning. The implications of this research point to the necessity of providing teachers with professional development, that integrates the maker mindset to successfully incorporate maker-centred learning into curricula. Ultimately, gaining insight into teachers' perceptions of the maker mindset may influence the incorporation of maker-centred learning methods in classrooms, school policies and curriculum in Indonesia and beyond. Keywords: maker mindset, makerspace, teacher perceptions, Indonesia, STEM

Identifying Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions of the Maker Mindset in Indonesian International Schools

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