POLICY OVERLOAD AND TEACHER BURNOUT: RETHINKING EDUCATION REFORM IN INDONESIA

Abstract

This study critically examines the phenomenon of policy overload and its implications for teacher burnout within the context of education reform in Indonesia. Despite continuous policy innovation aimed at improving educational quality, teachers are increasingly confronted with overlapping regulations, rapid policy changes, and escalating administrative demands. Drawing on a qualitative research design using critical policy analysis, this study analyzes policy documents, institutional reports, and scholarly literature, including international assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment, to explore the relationship between policy design and classroom realities. The findings reveal that policy overload has become a structural feature of the education system, resulting in significant pressure on teachers as frontline implementers. This condition contributes to teacher burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, reduced professional engagement, and diminished instructional capacity. Furthermore, the study identifies a pattern of instructional displacement, where teachers shift their focus from pedagogical practices to administrative compliance. As a result, the quality of instruction declines, reinforcing the persistence of the learning crisis in Indonesia. This study argues that the limitations of education reform are rooted not merely in implementation gaps, but in systemic policy design failures, including weak policy coherence, inadequate evaluation mechanisms, and insufficient consideration of teacher capacity. In response, the study proposes a reorientation toward a teacher-centered policy framework that emphasizes policy simplification, workload reduction, evidence-based reform, and enhanced teacher agency. Ultimately, sustainable education reform requires aligning policy demands with the realities of teaching practice to achieve meaningful improvements in learning outcomes.