Hasan Djidu, Heri Retnawati, Haryanto
In this study we explored how mathematics teachers in Indonesia understood and implemented Computational Thinking Skills (CTS), as well as the challenges they encountered. While CTS—encompassing skills such as decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking—had gained prominence in global education reform, its classroom-level integration remains uneven, especially in diverse school settings. Through semi-structured interviews with 11 mathematics teachers from primary and secondary schools across varied regions in Indonesia, including underserved and remote areas, we examined how CTS was conceptualized, practiced, and hindered in real-world teaching. Our thematic analysis revealed three key findings: (a) teachers demonstrated uneven familiarity with CTS, often relating it to general problem-solving or critical thinking without explicitly referencing the CTS framework; (b) many used CTS-aligned strategies like structured problem-solving and real-life application without labeling them as CTS; and (c) implementation was hindered by a range of systemic and pedagogical barriers, including assessment pressures and accountability, time constraints and administrative load, student readiness gaps, instructional pragmatism, and limited access to technology and infrastructure. Our study highlights the need for context-responsive professional development that builds on teachers’ existing practices with the CTS framework, as well as structural support to foster innovation. Implications for teacher training, curriculum design, and policy are discussed, with recommendations for promoting scalable and context-responsive CTS implementation. Copyright 2025: Hasan Djidu, Heri Retnawati, Haryanto, and Nova Southeastern University.
Educational Research and Evaluation Department, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Mathematics Education Department, Universitas Sembilanbelas November Kolaka, Indonesia
