<![CDATA[This study analyzes the gap between policy design and the implementation of deep learning within the Merdeka Curriculum in primary education. The research is motivated by the persistence of discrepancies between the intended policy of meaningful and student-centered learning and its actual implementation in classroom practices. A qualitative approach using a thematic literature review was employed by analyzing relevant national and international studies from 2015–2025 indexed in Scopus, ERIC, and SINTA. Data were collected through systematic documentation and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns related to policy design, classroom implementation, teacher interpretation, and implementation barriers. The findings reveal that although the Merdeka Curriculum emphasizes deep learning as a core pedagogical approach, its implementation in primary schools remains limited and tends to focus on administrative compliance rather than meaningful learning practices. Teachers’ varying interpretations, limited pedagogical understanding, and systemic constraints contribute significantly to the implementation gap. The study concludes that there is a substantial policy implementation gap between curriculum design and classroom reality. This indicates that successful curriculum reform requires not only sound policy design but also strong teacher capacity and systemic support at the school level.]]>
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