EXPLORING CONSTRUCTIVE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN LEARNING OUTCOMES AND ENGLISH ASSESSMENT PRACTICES UNDER THE MERDEKA CURRICULUM: A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY IN PEKANBARU

Abstrak

This qualitative case study investigates constructive alignment between stated English language learning outcomes and assessment practices in three public junior secondary schools (SMP Negeri) in Pekanbaru, Riau, under Indonesia's Merdeka Curriculum framework. Grounded in Biggs and Tang's (2007) constructive alignment theory, the study draws on document analysis of teacher-designed Modul Ajar and assessment instruments, non-participant classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews with eight English teachers. Thematic analysis of the data reveals predominantly partial alignment: while learning outcomes are frequently articulated at higher-order cognitive levels, corresponding assessment tasks disproportionately target recall and lower-order comprehension. Classroom instructional activities often demonstrate richer alignment with intended outcomes than do the formal assessment instruments that follow. Facilitating factors include participation in school-based professional learning communities and structured in-house training (IHT), while hindering factors include limited assessment literacy, time constraints, and insufficient curriculum implementation guidance. The findings contribute to growing scholarship on Merdeka Curriculum implementation and offer implications for EFL assessment design, teacher professional development, and curriculum policy in Indonesian secondary education.