Public Perception of ICT and Governance of Educational Curriculum Transformation: Analyzing Online Discussions in Indonesia

This study aims to evaluate public perceptions of implementing the Independent Curriculum in Indonesia, focusing on the positive and negative aspects that emerge in online discussions. Using a digital analytics approach, this study collects and analyzes data from various social media platforms to understand how the public responds to changes in the education system. Through topic analysis using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) algorithm, this study successfully identified four main topics in positive and negative sentiments. In positive sentiments, the topics identified include independence and enthusiasm for learning, expectations for students, participation in education, and the development of independent curriculum and learning programs. In contrast, for negative sentiments, topics include dissatisfaction with the implementation of the policy, limitations in teaching and learning, teacher readiness and educational infrastructure, and the impact of the curriculum on education. These results indicate that despite high aspirations and some positive outcomes from implementing the Independent Curriculum, there are still significant challenges in its implementation that influence negative perceptions from the public. This study contributes to educational theory by emphasizing the importance of understanding public perception as an important factor in evaluating education policies. The implications of these findings suggest that policymakers need to consider input from the public to improve and adjust education policies more effectively.