Novice teachers’ beliefs and practices in outcome-based education within Indonesian higher education

Abstract

The adoption of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) has gained prominence in Indonesian higher education, emphasizing measurable student competencies aligned with industry demands. While OBE is seen as a means to prepare students effectively for the global workforce, its successful implementation among novice teachers remains challenging due to limited training and resources. This study explores novice teachers’ beliefs, which are influential in achieving curriculum objectives, specifically comparing those with extensive OBE training with those with minimal preparation and their teaching practices. Data were gathered through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations, with 20 novice teachers invited. By adopting Fives and Buehl’s (2016) belief model focusing on teachers’ beliefs about knowledge, teaching, and students, the findings reveal that teachers with more OBE training demonstrate higher confidence and greater appropriateness in student-centered methods, show flexibility in instructional strategies to support student outcomes, and tend to have a growth mindset. Conversely, teachers with less OBE training found the transition challenging, affecting their ability to implement OBE effectively and leading them to adopt a fixed mindset. Besides, novice teachers’ classroom activities demonstrate appropriate practices in OBE, which emphasize results-oriented knowledge, behavior, professional skills, problem-solving, solid teamwork, and digital literacy by applying the student-centered approach to achieve learning outcomes. The study also underscores the critical role of continuous professional development and institutional support in shaping effective OBE practices, suggesting that sustained training can enhance OBE alignment in Indonesian higher education.