Educational versus Non-Educational Backgrounds: A Nationwide Assessment of Physics Teacher Competencies in Indonesia

Dian Artha Kusumaningtyas (1Department of Physics Education, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan)
Fahrudin Nugroho (Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada)
Muhammad Syahriandi Adhantoro (3Department of Data Science, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta)
Efi Kurniasari (4Department of Elementary School Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sukabumi)

Jurnal VARIDIKA
Volume 38 No 3, December 2026

The caliber of teacher training in Indonesia poses a significant obstacle, especially within the Teacher Professional Education Program (TPEP), which enrolls individuals from both educational and non-educational fields. Although common beliefs imply that graduates from educational disciplines exhibit enhanced pedagogical preparedness, comprehensive national comparative data is markedly limited. This ex post facto quantitative investigation seeks to fill this void by assessing the professional abilities of 728 physics TPEP graduates from 31 institutions. The study specifically contrasts performance based on academic backgrounds, explores institutional disparities, identifies determinants of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), and delineates graduate competencies. Statistical evaluations—including ANOVA, ANCOVA, and multiple regression—indicated that undergraduate background does not significantly influence professional competence following TPEP completion. Graduates from educational and non-educational tracks showed no statistically significant differences in PCK, UKIN (Portfolio), or UTUL (Written Test) scores. Instead, institutional context emerged as a notable source of variation. Regression modeling demonstrated that UTUL scores and recency of graduation are robust predictors of PCK, whereas undergraduate background is negligible. Interestingly, UKIN scores exhibited a negative association with PCK. Furthermore, cluster analysis segmented graduates into distinct low, moderate, and high-performance profiles, highlighting significant heterogeneity among the cohort. Ultimately, these findings indicate that a teacher's professional competence is driven by general academic preparedness, institutional environment, and study recency, rather than their initial undergraduate discipline. By providing a nationwide mapping of TPEP outcomes, this research challenges traditional assumptions regarding teacher preparation and provides a foundation for targeted, differentiated professional development strategies.