The connected curriculum development approach

: the case of Sekolah Tinggi Pariwisata Bandung (STPB), Indonesia

Abstract

As a pioneer of Indonesian Tourism & Hospitality (T&H) public higher education, the institution (HEI), “Sekolah Tinggi Pariwisata Bandung” (STPB) provides academic and vocational learning within a single curriculum. However, there seems to be scant research regarding a curriculum that addresses the complexity of academic-based and apprenticeship-orientated learning components. Complexity theory may offer a potential framework for the curriculum developers to examine and make sense of the T&H curriculum development approach which focuses on the issues within the discipline and in particular the vocational versus academic debate.

Therefore, this study investigates issues with the current curriculum and associated pedagogy in Indonesia and discusses how complexity theory can help to understand the T&H curriculum in a highly regulated system. This is important to the overarching aim of this thesis which is to develop a better understanding of challenges for T&H curriculum developers to pursue learning enhancements, continued development, innovation, and flexibility within the context of a highly regulated system at STPB HEI, Indonesia.

Within an interpretive paradigm, the study employed a qualitative methodology and in-depth interviews as the primary research strategy to surface the views and experiences from key stakeholders (students, educators, and industry practitioners) in the case of STPB HEI. The stakeholder’s interview data was analysed thematically.

The case exploration identified the macro and micro barriers of curriculum development within Indonesia HEI. These mirror the T&H curriculum development process at STPB, which was technocratic, imposing an inflexible delivery of knowledge(pedagogy), and incorporates a complexity between academic and vocational content. The complexity theoretical lens made sense for STPB curriculum development, to offer a holistic view to understand the diverse interrelated components and emergent behaviour of a complex system. As such, in term of a curriculum model, the findings show the comprehensive understanding of both existence of the technical-scientific curriculum model and values of a nontechnical–non-scientific approach that embrace the heuristic, spiritual, social, and accepts the ‘orderly disorder’ approach.
Finally, the thesis concludes by proposing a connected curriculum development (CCD) contemporary model. This is especially for STPB HEI to think away from conventional approaches and deliberate the proposed CCD model that inclusive of technical and non-technical perspective. Limitations of this doctoral thesis are evaluated, and further research also identified.

Date of Award	Nov 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Brighton
Supervisor	Jo-Anne Lester (Supervisor) & Kathleen Galvin (Supervisor)