THE TEACHERS’ UNDERSTANDING IN IMPLEMENTING PLATFORM MERDEKA MENGAJAR (PMM) IN ENGLISH SUBJECT AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The education system in Indonesia has changed many times in recent
decades. The current curriculum, called Kurikulum Merdeka, introduces the
Platform Merdeka Mengajar (PMM) to help teachers with references and
understanding. This study aimed at describing the teachers‟ understanding
about PMM in English subject at Elementary School and the problems faced
by the English teachers in implementing PMM at Elementary School. The
study focused on English teachers in Elementary Schools in Gugus 9
(Sembilan), specifically SD Negeri 61 and SD Negeri 82 Kota Bengkulu. The
results revealed that teachers at SD Negeri 61 and SD Negeri 82 in Kota
Bengkulu understand and utilize Platform Merdeka Mengajar (PMM)
effectively, finding it beneficial for obtaining teaching materials and improving
their skills. However, they face challenges such as meeting diverse student
needs and technical issues like internet connectivity, but they remain open to
adopting new technologies with improved support and training. The study
also recommended future research on PMM in different subjects and settings
on a broader scale.
Key Terms : teachers‟ understanding, Kurikulum Merdeka, Platform Merdeka
Mengajar (PMM)