Culturally responsive self directed learning strategies of teachers in remote areas in Indonesia

Abstract

The needs for equity in education in remote areas in Indonesia have urged various parties to engage in the endeavor. However, teachers who are assigned or choose to serve them come from places of different cultures. This poses challenges to adaption and even wears down their resilience to the point of giving up. The research is aimed at analyzing strategies that teachers serving in areas of diverse cultures used in developing culturally responsive self-directed learning skills. The research applied phenomenology design using primary and secondary data that explored the lived experienced of teachers who are serving in the remote areas through observations, interviews, and document studies. The research findings showed that humility, priority to learn native languages, a high degree of initiative, and ability to evaluate and reflect were key to developing culturally-responsive self-directed learning skills. Whereas, a cultural preparation stage, cultural orientation period and opportunity to get confirmation and feedback, and a break from cross-cultural situation afforded opportunities for the development of culturally responsive self-directed learning skills. This research also described the importance of each key factor in developing culturally responsive self-directed learning for teachers who have to face new culture where they serve.