Curriculum enactment through Balinese language teaching modules in elementary schools

Komang Puteri Yadnya Diari (Institut Agama Hindu Negeri Mpu Kuturan)
Doni Dwi Hartanto (Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta)
Ruslan Yusoh (Darussalam School, Narathiwat Thailand)
Made Suardika Jaya (3IAHN Mpu Kuturan, Singaraja)

Jurnal Prima Edukasia
Vol. 14 No. 3 (2026): September 2026

This study examines Balinese language teaching modules as arenas of curriculum enactment in five public elementary schools implementing the Kurikulum Merdeka. Using an interpretive qualitative case study, data were generated from four Balinese language teachers and five school principals through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis, then analyzed thematically. The findings reveal three interrelated themes: modules function as interpretive pedagogical spaces adapted to students’ sociocultural contexts; tension arises between curricular flexibility and teachers’ conceptual readiness; and modules mediate cultural meaning in classroom learning. The study shows that curriculum implementation is a negotiated process shaped by teacher agency, institutional support, and local linguistic-cultural knowledge. Theoretically, it repositions teaching modules from static instructional tools to dynamic sites of curriculum enactment in regional language education. Practically, it highlights the need to strengthen teachers’ curricular literacy and develop contextual modules that connect curricular flexibility with cultural sustainability