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The paradox of educational administration in the Merdeka Belajar era: Policy simplification and the complexity of school practices

Cakrawala Pendidikan · Vol. 45 No. 3 (2026)

DOI
10.21831/cp.v45i3.94628
ISSN
2442-8620, 0216-1370
Published
2026-10-19
Publisher
LPMPP Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
Language
eng
License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

Abstract

Merdeka Belajar is promoted as a reform to simplify educational administration and strengthen school autonomy. However, its implementation reveals a paradox between policy discourse and administrative practice. This study examines the paradox of educational administration in the Merdeka Belajar era by analyzing the gap between normative simplification and school-level complexity in public secondary schools in West Java. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and observations, and analyzed thematically. The findings show that administrative simplification operates mainly at the policy level, while schools experience increased administrative workload due to fragmented digital systems and intensified accountability demands. Schools adopt adaptive strategies to manage these pressures, yet such practices remain informal and capacity dependent. The study contributes by reframing Merdeka Belajar as an administrative governance reform and highlights the need for integrated systems and capacity-sensitive policies to achieve substantive administrative simplification.

Keywords

Collaboration network of the authors

29 authors · 73 co-authorship links

Hover or tap a name to highlight its co-authors. Double-click to open the author's page.

  • Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember
  • Cenderawasih University
  • Affiliation unknown
  • Different organisations
  • Same organisation
  • Affiliation unknown
  • Thicker line = more joint articles · bigger circle = more articles
Show as table
Co-authorOrganisationJoint articles
Nur Rohmah MuktianiAffiliation unknown2
Soegiyanto SoegiyantoAffiliation unknown2
Setya RahayuAffiliation unknown2
Gigih PrasetyoInstitut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember1
Adrianus YozaAffiliation unknown1
Hani RamadhanInstitut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember1
Aris TjahyantoInstitut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember1
Addy Idris KusumaAffiliation unknown1
Guntur GunturAffiliation unknown1
Dapan DapanAffiliation unknown1
Tri Ani HastutiAffiliation unknown1
Nur Sita UtamiAffiliation unknown1
Siswantoyo SiswantoyoAffiliation unknown1
Ahmad NasrullohAffiliation unknown1
Rifky Riyandi PrastyawanAffiliation unknown1
Fitri Agung NandaAffiliation unknown1
Novriansyah NovriansyahAffiliation unknown1
Sigit Dwi AndriantoAffiliation unknown1
Dewi NurhidayahCenderawasih University1
Soni NopembriAffiliation unknown1
José Vicente García-JiménezAffiliation unknown1
Iim Siti MasyitohAffiliation unknown1
Endang DanialAffiliation unknown1
Rahmat RahmatAffiliation unknown1
Asep Darojatul RomliAffiliation unknown1

Affiliations come from OpenAlex; journal OAI-PMH metadata carries none. Authors without an OpenAlex ID are matched by name, which can merge or split people.

Metadata source: OAI-PMH (metadata jurnal) https://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/cp/oai, first harvested 8 Nov 2026, last seen 8 Nov 2026.
Original metadata (oai_dc) 
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	<dc:title xml:lang="en-US">The paradox of educational administration in the Merdeka Belajar era: Policy simplification and the complexity of school practices</dc:title>
	<dc:creator>Priatna, Asep</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator> Suherman, Wawan Sundawan</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator>Hermawan, Hedi Ardiyanto</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator>Cahyono, Cahyono</dc:creator>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en-US">Merdeka Belajar</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en-US">educational administration</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en-US">policy implementation</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en-US">school capacity</dc:subject>
	<dc:description xml:lang="en-US">Merdeka Belajar is promoted as a reform to simplify educational administration and strengthen school autonomy. However, its implementation reveals a paradox between policy discourse and administrative practice. This study examines the paradox of educational administration in the Merdeka Belajar era by analyzing the gap between normative simplification and school-level complexity in public secondary schools in West Java. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and observations, and analyzed thematically. The findings show that administrative simplification operates mainly at the policy level, while schools experience increased administrative workload due to fragmented digital systems and intensified accountability demands. Schools adopt adaptive strategies to manage these pressures, yet such practices remain informal and capacity dependent. The study contributes by reframing Merdeka Belajar as an administrative governance reform and highlights the need for integrated systems and capacity-sensitive policies to achieve substantive administrative simplification.</dc:description>
	<dc:publisher xml:lang="en-US">LPMPP Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta</dc:publisher>
	<dc:date>2026-10-19</dc:date>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/article</dc:type>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion</dc:type>
	<dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
	<dc:identifier>https://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/cp/article/view/94628</dc:identifier>
	<dc:identifier>10.21831/cp.v45i3.94628</dc:identifier>
	<dc:source xml:lang="en-US">Jurnal Cakrawala Pendidikan; Vol. 45 No. 3 (2026): Cakrawala Pendidikan (October 2026)</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2442-8620</dc:source>
	<dc:source>0216-1370</dc:source>
	<dc:source>10.21831/cp.v45i3</dc:source>
	<dc:language>eng</dc:language>
	<dc:relation>https://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/cp/article/view/94628/26398</dc:relation>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en-US">Copyright (c) 2026 Asep Supriatna, Wawan Sundawan  Suherman, Hedi Ardiyanto Hermawan, Cahyono Cahyono</dc:rights>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en-US">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0</dc:rights>
</oai_dc:dc>