Main Article Content
Abstract
This study compares English language education in Indonesia and Australia, focusing on cross-curricular integration, teacher autonomy, technology use, and the influence of sociopolitical contexts on curriculum design. While both countries aim to enhance English language proficiency, their approaches differ significantly due to contextual factors. In Australia, the decentralized education system promotes teacher autonomy, allowing for innovative, student-centered teaching practices, cross-curricular integration, and frequent use of technology to enhance language learning. In contrast, Indonesia’s centralized education system, heavily influenced by national exam structures, limits the flexibility of teachers and the integration of English across subjects. Despite recent reforms, teachers in Indonesia face challenges in adopting modern pedagogies due to resource constraints and the continued focus on standardized testing. Through a qualitative comparative analysis of policy documents, curriculum standards, and teacher perspectives, this study highlights the importance of localized educational reforms. The findings suggest that fostering teacher autonomy, improving technology access, and reducing exam-driven practices could lead to more effective, cross-curricular English language education in Indonesia. The study also emphasizes the role of sociopolitical factors in shaping curriculum design and calls for greater international collaboration in sharing best practices to enhance English education in both countries.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Muhammad Ari Saputra, Rizky Yolanda, Zelly Putriani

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References
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- Kunter, M., Klusmann, U., Baumert, J., Richter, D., Voss, T., & Hachfeld, A. (2013). Professional competence of teachers: Effects on instructional quality and student development. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105(3), 805–820. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032583
- Lai, M. L. (2015). Teacher autonomy in English language education. ELT Journal, 69(1), 21–32.
- Lie, A. (2017). ENGLISH AND IDENTITY IN MULTICULTURAL CONTEXTS: ISSUES, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES. TEFLIN Journal - A Publication on the Teaching and Learning of English, 28(1), 71. https://doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v28i1/71-92
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- Nunan, D. (2004). Task-Based Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.
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- Peter Freebody & Allan Luke. (2003). Literacy as Engaging with New Forms of Life: The “Four Roles” Model. Pearson Education Australia.
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- Suryadarma, D., Suryahadi, A., & Sumarto, S. (2018). Education and policy reform in Indonesia. A Review of Developments. Asian Economic Policy Review, 13(2), 267–288.
- The New London Group. (2000). A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies: Designing Social Futures. Routledge.
- Thompson, G. (2016). The digital divide in education. Technology in Education, 11(4), 38–42.
- Unsworth, L. (2018). Teaching multiliteracies across the curriculum. Routledge.
- Yang, M., & Liu, S. (2021). Transformation of Higher Education in Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Educational Technology, 12(1), 45–60.
- Yin, R. K. (2018). Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods. SAGE Publications.
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References
Alford, J., & Kettle, M. (2017). Teachers’ Reinterpretations of Critical Literacy Policy: Prioritizing Praxis. Critical Inquiry in Language Studies, 14(2–3), 182–209. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427587.2017.1288067
Alford, J., van Leent, L., Downes, L., & Woods, A. (2021). Critical Literacies in Australia. In The Handbook of Critical Literacies (pp. 125–132). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003023425-14
Arrasyid, F. I. (2023). English Lecturers’ Perception of Learning Model In Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) Curriculum Implementation. International Journal of Education and Humanities, 3(2), 197–206. https://doi.org/10.58557/(ijeh).v3i2.161
ASEAN Secretariat. (2019). Education Cooperation in ASEAN: Regional Framework and Policy Review. ASEAN Secretariat. https://asean.org
Australian Curriculum, A. and R. A. (2020). Australian Curriculum: English. Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/english/
Australian Education Council. (2019). The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration. Department of Education, Skills and Employment, Australian Government.
B. Seidlhofer. (2012). Understanding English as a Lingua Franca. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 22(1), 124–128. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1473-4192.2011.00305.x
Baker, W. (2020). English as a Lingua Franca and Transcultural Communication. In Ontologies of English (pp. 253–272). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108685153.013
Baldauf Jr, R. B., & Kaplan, R. B. (2006). Language Planning and Policy in the Pacific, Vol 1 (R. B. Baldauf Jr & R. B. Kaplan (eds.)). Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781853599224
Beryl Exley & Kathy A. Mills. (2012). Parsing the Australian Curriculum English: Grammar, Multimodality and Cross-Cultural Texts. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 35(2), 192–205.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Catherine Beavis. (2010). English in the Digital Age: Making English Digital. English in Australia, 45(2), 20–27. https://doi.org/10.3316/ielapa.411528784822626
Creswell, J. W. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. SAGE Publications.
Crystal, D. (2003). English as a Global Language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Darmayanti, P. S. (2023). Empowering Student-Centered Learning in English Education (A Closer Look at Kurikulum Merdeka). AL-MIKRAJ Jurnal Studi Islam Dan Humaniora (E-ISSN 2745-4584), 4(1), 368–375. https://doi.org/10.37680/almikraj.v4i1.3694
Dwi Jayanti, E., & Damayanti, I. L. (2023). Exploring Teachers’ Perceptions of Integrating Multimodal Literacy into English Classrooms in Indonesian Primary Education. Child Education Journal, 5(2), 98–109. https://doi.org/10.33086/cej.v5i2.5240
Dzekoe, R. (2020). English Language Education and Digital Literacy in the 21st Century. In Contemporary Foundations for Teaching English as an Additional Language (pp. 217–245). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429398612-34
Faizatul Istiqomah. (2014). A Comparison Study of Australian and Indonesian English Curriculum for Upper Primary School. Lingua Scientia, 5(2), 125–139.
Feni Aryati, K. (2023). Enhancing Communicative Competence Through Kurikulum Merdeka: Insights For English Language Educators. AL-MIKRAJ Jurnal Studi Islam Dan Humaniora (E-ISSN 2745-4584), 4(1), 335–344. https://doi.org/10.37680/almikraj.v4i1.3619
Gardner, P. D. (2017). Worlds Apart: A comparative analysis of discourses of English in the curricula of England and Australia. English in Education, 51(2), 170–187. https://doi.org/10.1111/eie.12138
Gee, J. P. (2017). Teaching, Learning, Literacy in Our High-Risk High-Tech World: A Framework for Becoming Human. Teachers College Press.
Goodall, J. (2018). Leading for parental engagement: working towards partnership. School Leadership & Management, 38(2), 143–146. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2018.1459022
Green, B. (2017). Engaging Curriculum. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315650944
Guerra, L. (2020). ELF-AWARENESS AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE IN ELT POLICIES IN PORTUGAL. Estudos Linguísticos e Literários, 1(65), 49. https://doi.org/10.9771/ell.v1i65.36468
Hamied, F. A. (2012). English in Multicultural and Multilingual Indonesian Education (pp. 63–78). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4578-0_5
Hult, F. M. (2017). More than a lingua franca: Functions of English in a globalised educational language policy. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 30(3), 265–282. https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2017.1321008
Iffa Kharimah, Siminto, & Zaitun Qamariah. (2023). The Implementation Of Merdeka Curriculum For Formal English Learning. Atmosfer: Jurnal Pendidikan, Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, Budaya, Dan Sosial Humaniora, 1(3), 52–65. https://doi.org/10.59024/atmosfer.v1i3.206
Johnson, R. K. (2009). The Second Language Curriculum. Cambridge University Press.
Kemendikbudristek. (2022). Panduan Implementasi Kurikulum Merdeka. Jakarta: Kemendikbudristek. Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, Dan Teknologi. https://kurikulum.kemdikbud.go.id
Kicha, L., Mogea, T., & Liando, N. V. F. (2023). Development, Implementation, Evaluation, and Comparation Toward ELT Curriculum (A Case in Indonesia). Edumaspul: Jurnal Pendidikan, 7(2), 3529–3543. https://doi.org/10.33487/edumaspul.v7i2.6978
Kırkgöz, Y. (2012). Exploring Teachers’ Implementation of the Recent Curriculum Innovation in ELT in Turkish Primary Education. In Innovating EFL Teaching in Asia (pp. 181–195). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230347823_14
Kunter, M., Klusmann, U., Baumert, J., Richter, D., Voss, T., & Hachfeld, A. (2013). Professional competence of teachers: Effects on instructional quality and student development. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105(3), 805–820. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032583
Lai, M. L. (2015). Teacher autonomy in English language education. ELT Journal, 69(1), 21–32.
Lie, A. (2017). ENGLISH AND IDENTITY IN MULTICULTURAL CONTEXTS: ISSUES, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES. TEFLIN Journal - A Publication on the Teaching and Learning of English, 28(1), 71. https://doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v28i1/71-92
Mubaroq, S., & Qamariah, Z. (2024). Curriculum Approaches in English Language Teaching in Indonesia. Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan Nasional (JIPNAS), 2(1), 01–06. https://doi.org/10.59435/jipnas.v2i1.105
Nunan, D. (2003). The Impact of English as a Global Language on Educational Policies and Practices in the Asia-Pacific Region. TESOL Quarterly, 37(4), 589. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588214
Nunan, D. (2004). Task-Based Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Nuraeni, S. F. C. (2018). A Lesson from Indonesia: Implementing 2006 and 2013 English Curriculum. The Educational Review, USA, 2(7). https://doi.org/10.26855/er.2018.07.003
Peter Freebody & Allan Luke. (2003). Literacy as Engaging with New Forms of Life: The “Four Roles” Model. Pearson Education Australia.
Reynolds, B. L., & Yu, M. H. (2018). Addressing the language needs of administrative staff in Taiwan’s internationalised higher education: call for an English as a lingua franca curriculum to increase communicative competence and willingness to communicate. Language and Education, 32(2), 147–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2017.1405017
Richards, J. C. (2006). Communicative Language Teaching Today. Cambridge University Press.
Saputra, M. A., Ibrahim, A., Lubis, A. H., & Khairani, N. (2025). Teachers’ Perspectives on Seating Arrangements for English Language Learners. Indonesian Journal of Integrated English Language Teaching, 11(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.24014/ijielt.v11i1.36596
Sellar, S., & Lingard, B. (2013). The OECD and global governance in education. Journal of Education Policy, 28(5), 710–725. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2013.779791
Suryadarma, D., Suryahadi, A., & Sumarto, S. (2018). Education and policy reform in Indonesia. A Review of Developments. Asian Economic Policy Review, 13(2), 267–288.
The New London Group. (2000). A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies: Designing Social Futures. Routledge.
Thompson, G. (2016). The digital divide in education. Technology in Education, 11(4), 38–42.
Unsworth, L. (2018). Teaching multiliteracies across the curriculum. Routledge.
Yang, M., & Liu, S. (2021). Transformation of Higher Education in Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Educational Technology, 12(1), 45–60.
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods. SAGE Publications.
Zein, S. (2019). English, multilingualism and globalisation in Indonesia. English Today, 35(1), 48–53. https://doi.org/10.1017/S026607841800010X
Zein, S., Sukyadi, D., Hamied, F. A., & Lengkanawati, N. S. (2020). English language education in Indonesia: A review of research (2011–2019). Language Teaching, 53(4), 491–523. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444820000208
