Anita Lie, Maria Teodora Ping, Tri Lestari
This paper discusses the rationale for mapping the dimensions of teaching quality and the learning environment in assessing teaching effectiveness. This article examines the Indonesian Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education recent and current policies on teachers' professional development based on the empirical findings in our previous study (Author et al., 2026). Previous research revealed significant differences in perceptions of teaching quality in Indonesia. Particularly, it was reported that high performing schools, indicated by higher student competence scores, exhibited higher perceived teaching quality across all educational levels, which is more prominent at the elementary level. Teachers consistently reported teaching quality higher than their students did, indicating potential discrepancies in self-assessment, which seems to be common. The study also found that students' perceptions of teachers' classroom management and affective support were strong predictors of their literacy and numeracy achievements, whereas teachers' behavior related to cognitive activation showed a weaker, negative correlation with student performance. Furthermore, the documented weakness in cognitive activation is intrinsically linked to the lack of another dimension of teaching quality, namely Differentiated Instruction. Therefore, this study underscores the importance of evaluating teaching quality on the relevant dimensions and suggests that teacher training and development should focus on enhancing cognitive activation skills. Moreover, this paper advocates policies aimed at closing the quality gap between schools, as well as improving teachers' self-evaluation and pedagogical practices. © 2026, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED). All rights reserved.
Universitas Katolik Widya Mandala Surabaya, Indonesia; Universitas Mulawarman, Indonesia; Universitas Mulawarman, Indonesia