Indonesian Teachers' Accountability and Teacher Strategies in the Familism System: A Case of a Javanese Junior High School

In Indonesia, there have been major educational reforms linked to the professional development of teachers in efforts to improve the quality of teaching and learning. However, research suggests programs such as the “Teacher Certification Program” had no significant impact on teachers’ or students’ performance (Chang et al. 2013; Fahmi et al. 2011). As previous research has shown, there is often a gap between what educational reform intends and what happens in the reality of schools and classrooms. One of the causes is that there is a lack of consideration of underlying assumptions behind teachers’ practices, specifically, what they prioritize and consider as important in daily activities. Without understanding the dynamics of social interactions in schools, educational reforms inevitably fail to meet the realities in classrooms.