Principal-Led Curriculum and Learning Evaluation in Elementary Schools: An Integrative Review of the Merdeka Curriculum

Yusuf Effendi; Agus Pahrudin; Sri Rahmi

doi:10.58485/jie.v5i2.675

Authors

Yusuf Effendi Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Intan Lampung, Indonesia
Agus Pahrudin Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Intan Lampung, Indonesia
Sri Rahmi Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58485/jie.v5i2.675

Keywords:

Academic supervision, curriculum evaluation, elementary school, Merdeka curriculum, principal leadership

Abstract

Research on the Merdeka Curriculum has increasingly examined principal leadership and curriculum implementation; however, limited attention has been given to how principals integrate curriculum and learning evaluation into a continuous school improvement process. This study aimed to analyze principals’ strategies in managing curriculum and learning evaluation and to formulate a conceptual framework for principal-led evaluation in elementary education. The study employed a qualitative approach using an integrative literature review of 35 sources related to instructional leadership, curriculum evaluation, academic supervision, assessment literacy, data-driven decision-making, and Merdeka Curriculum implementation. The synthesis identified five interconnected strategies: strengthening curriculum vision, building teacher reflection, using assessment data, conducting dialogical academic supervision, and ensuring follow-up actions. These strategies were integrated into a cyclical evaluation framework comprising diagnosis, planning, implementation, reflection, follow-up, and monitoring. The review indicates that curriculum and learning evaluation should function not merely as an administrative activity but as an evidence-based and reflective mechanism for continuous instructional improvement. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening principals’ competencies in curriculum analysis, data literacy, academic supervision, teacher coaching, and reflective leadership to support adaptive and contextual curriculum implementation.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alatise, T., & Akinfolarin, C. (2025). School Based Management Committee Roles and Facilities Maintenance as Correlates of Teachers’ Effectiveness. Multidisciplinary Journal of Thought and Research, 1(3), 80–96. https://doi.org/10.67055/cz5yfb48

Anidar, J., Nursyamsi, N., Diminurman, A., & Engkizar, E. (2026). Building religious character in students: a qualitative study of youth information and counseling centers. Jurnal Konseling Dan Pendidikan, 14(1), 194–204. https://doi.org/10.29210/1158400

Aziz, A., Mukti, H., Rahmawati, B. F., & Hadi, Y. A. (2025). Implementation of {Merdeka Curriculum} concept, challenges and benefits in elementary school education. IJE: Interdisciplinary Journal of Education, 3(2), 148–156. https://doi.org/10.61277/ije.v3i2.210

Baroud, N., Ardila, Y., Akmal, F., & Sabrina, R. (2025). Opportunities and Challenges for Islamic Education Teachers in Using Artificial Intelligence in Learning. Muaddib: Journal of Islamic Teaching and Learning, 1(2), 1–11. https://doi.org/https://muaddib.intischolar.id/index.php/muaddib/article/view/6

Bastian, A., Firdaus, M., & Rizky, R. (2023). The school readiness in implementing the {Merdeka Curriculum} in {Pekanbaru}: A survey of teachers and students’ perspectives. Jurnal Kependidikan: Jurnal Hasil Penelitian Dan Kajian Kepustakaan Di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran Dan Pembelajaran, 9(4), 1162. https://doi.org/10.33394/jk.v9i4.9321

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2022). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. SAGE Publications. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=Pr2VEAAAQBAJ

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches (4th ed.). Sage.

Diharja, U., Machrawinayu, I., & Ritonga, M. G. A. (2023). Evaluasi model {CIPP} dalam peningkatan mutu pembelajaran pada {Program Kampung Cambridge Mutiara Cendekia}. Jurnal Basicedu, 7(6), 3989–4002. https://doi.org/10.31004/basicedu.v7i6.6580

Duan, P., Xiang, J., Niu, H., & Han, C. (2023). Construction of evaluation index for {Chinese} engineering undergraduates based on {CIPP} model. SAGE Open, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221149415

Engkizar, E., Jaafar, A., Hamzah, M. I., Langputeh, S., Rahman, I., & Febriani, A. (2025). Analysis Problems of Quranic Education Teachers in Indonesia: Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Islamic Studies Higher Education, 4(2), 92–108. https://insight.ppj.unp.ac.id/index.php/insight

Engkizar, E., Jaafar, A., Hamzah, M. I., Syafril, S., Ediz, M. H., Efendi, E., Ridha, A., Febriani, A., & Oktavia, G. (2026). Tartil Method as an Effective Pedagogical Approach for Enhancing Students’ Interest in Quranic Learning. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research of Higher Education (IJMURHICA), 9(1). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24036/ijmurhica.v9i1.637

Engkizar, E., Jaafar, A., Hamzah, M. I., Syafril, S., Oktavia, G., Febriani, A., & Albizar, A. (2026). Tartil Method as an Effective Strategy for Transforming Students’ Positive Attitudes in Learning the Qur’an. Journal of Quranic Teaching and Learning, 2(1), 50–63.

Engkizar, E., Jaafar, A., Taufan, M., Rahman, I., Oktavia, G., & Guspita, R. (2023). Quran Teacher: Future Profession or Devotion to the Ummah? International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research of Higher Education (IJMURHICA), 6(4), 196–210. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24036/ijmurhica.v6i4.321

Galdames-Calderon, M. (2023). Distributed leadership: School principals’ practices to promote teachers’ professional development for school improvement. Education Sciences, 13(7), 715. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13070715

Ghamrawi, N., Shal, T., & Ghamrawi, N. A. R. (2024). Cultivating teacher leadership: Evidence from a transformative professional development model. School Leadership & Management, 44(4), 413–441. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2024.2328056

He, P., Guo, F., & Abazie, G. A. (2024). School principals’ instructional leadership as a predictor of teachers’ professional development. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-024-00290-0

Hidayat, E., Pardosi, A., & Zulkarnaen, I. (2023). Efektivitas kepemimpinan kepala sekolah dalam penerapan {Kurikulum Merdeka}. Jurnal Studi Guru Dan Pembelajaran, 6(1), 9–18. https://doi.org/10.30605/jsgp.6.1.2023.2339

Hilda, E. M., Haryati, T., & PS, S. (2025). Kepemimpinan kepala sekolah dalam implementasi {Kurikulum Merdeka} di sekolah dasar. JIIP: Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Pendidikan, 8(3), 3140–3146. https://doi.org/10.54371/jiip.v8i3.7419

Hsieh, C. C., Chen, Y. R., & Li, H. C. (2024). Impact of school leadership on teacher professional collaboration: Evidence from multilevel analysis of {Taiwan TALIS 2018}. Journal of Professional Capital and Community, 9(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPCC-01-2023-0002

Isa, I., Asrori, M., & Muharini, R. (2022). Peran kepala sekolah dalam implementasi {Kurikulum Merdeka} di sekolah dasar. Jurnal Basicedu, 6(6), 9947–9957. https://doi.org/10.31004/basicedu.v6i6.4175

Ismail, N. I. (2025). Evaluation the implementation of the {Merdeka Curriculum}. Jurnal Eduscience, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.36987/jes.v12i3.7144

Kassymova, G. K., Engkizar, E., Hebebci, M. T., & Talgatov, Y. K. (2025). Interreligious Coexistence in Islam: Implications for Islamic Education and the Achievement of SDGs. Muaddib: Journal of Islamic Teaching and Learning, 1(3), 79–92.

Lestari, S., Iasha, V., & MS, Z. (2026). Implementation challenges of the {Merdeka Curriculum} in elementary schools: A {CIPP}-based systematic literature review (2023--2025). International Journal of Education and Learning Studies, 2(1), 60–78. https://doi.org/10.64421/ijels.v2i1.60

Marini, M. (2025). The influence of elementary school principal’s supervision on the implementation of {Merdeka Curriculum} in the digital era: Systematic literature review. PPSDP International Journal of Education, 4(2), 773–797. https://doi.org/10.59175/pijed.v4i2.574

Marliyani, T., Irianto, D. M., & Prihantini, P. (2023). Peran kepemimpinan transformasional kepala sekolah dalam optimalisasi implementasi {Kurikulum Merdeka} di sekolah dasar. Naturalistic: Jurnal Kajian Dan Penelitian Pendidikan Dan Pembelajaran, 8(1), 154–160. https://doi.org/10.35568/naturalistic.v8i1.3927

Maruti, E. S., Malawi, I., Hanif, M., Budyartati, S., Huda, N., Kusuma, W., & Khoironi, M. (2023). Implementasi Projek Penguatan Profil Pelajar Pancasila (P5) pada Jenjang Sekolah Dasar. Abdimas Mandalika, 2(2), 85. https://doi.org/10.31764/am.v2i2.13098

Maulida, F., & Dermawan, H. (2024). Penguatan Profil Pelajar Pancasila (P5) Pada Kurikulum Merdeka di Sekolah Dasar. TADRUSUUN: JURNAL PENDIDIKAN DASAR, 3(1), 239–245. https://doi.org/10.62274/tadrusuun.v3i1.124

Mockler, N. (2018). Curriculum integration in the twenty-first century: Some reflections in the light of the {Australian} curriculum. Curriculum Perspectives, 38(2), 129–136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-018-0047-9

Mulyadi, M., Hidayatullah, M. F., Syaifullah, R., & Riyadi, S. (2024). Evaluative study of the implementation of the {Independent Curriculum} in physical education elementary school level using the {CIPP} model. QALAMUNA: Jurnal Pendidikan, Sosial, Dan Agama, 16(2), 1017–1030. https://doi.org/10.37680/qalamuna.v16i2.5718

Nugroho, A. E. J. K., Sugiyanto, S., & Prihadi, S. (2025). the Impacts of Implementing Merdeka Belajar Curriculum on the Quality of Senior High School Education in Indonesia: a Scoping Review. Prima Magistra: Jurnal Ilmiah Kependidikan, 6(4), 525–542. https://doi.org/10.37478/jpm.v6i4.5652

Nurbani, D., Nurdin, D., & Dikdik, A. (2025). Strategic principal leadership in data-driven and value-based school planning: A case study from {Indonesian} primary education. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 14(1), 75–89. https://doi.org/10.14421/jpi.2025.141.75-89

Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71

Papadakis, S., Kanadli, S., Kardas, A., Tulubas, T., Karakose, T., & Polat, H. (2024). Investigating the relationship between leadership for learning and student achievement through the mediation of teacher performance: A meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach. Education Sciences, 14(12), 1320. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14121320

Pastore, S. (2023). Teacher assessment literacy: A systematic review. Frontiers in Education, 8, 1217167. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1217167

Pastore, S., & Andrade, H. L. (2019). Teacher assessment literacy: A three-dimensional model. Teaching and Teacher Education, 84, 128–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.05.003

Pietsch, M., Tulowitzki, P., & Cramer, C. (2025). Instructional leadership and student achievement: A meta-analytical big data study across cultures and time. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737231197434

Pont, B. (2020). A literature review of school leadership policy reforms. European Journal of Education, 55(2), 154–168. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12398

Ralebese, M. D., Jita, L., & Badmus, O. T. (2025). Examining Primary School Principals’ Instructional Leadership Practices: A Case Study on Curriculum Reform and Implementation. Education Sciences, 15(1), 70. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15010070

Resa, A., Tri Atmaja, H., & Setiawan, D. (2023). The Implementation of Strengthening Pancasila Student Profile’s Local Wisdom Theme in the Merdeka Curriculum in Elementary School. International Journal of Research and Review, 10(6), 76–81. https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20230611

Rifaldi, M., Kaharu, S. N., Pahriadi, P., Azizah, A., & Sukri, S. (2026). Teachers’ Understanding of the Merdeka Curriculum. Journal of Innovation and Research in Primary Education, 5(1), 1486–1495. https://doi.org/10.56916/jirpe.v5i1.3076

Rumasukun, N. A., Faizin, M., & Apia, G. (2024). Peran kepala sekolah dalam implementasi {Kurikulum Merdeka} di {SD Negeri 02 Waisai}. Papeda: Jurnal Publikasi Pendidikan Dasar, 6(1), 13–22. https://doi.org/10.36232/jurnalpendidikandasar.v6i1.5220

Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039