Dampak Penerapan Kurikulum Merdeka terhadap Kemampuan Literasi Siswa di MTs Assyafi’iyyah

Abstract

The low literacy level of Indonesian students, as indicated by the 2018 PISA results, underscores the urgency of curriculum reform that integrates literacy into the learning process. This study aims to analyze the effect of implementing the Merdeka Curriculum on students’ literacy skills at MTs Assyaf’iyyah Gununghalu. A quantitative approach with an explanatory research design was employed. The sample consisted of 30 students from grades VII to IX, selected through saturated sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, and documentation, and analyzed using simple linear regression with IBM SPSS 22.0. The findings indicate that the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum is in the high category and has a significant positive effect on students’ literacy skills, with a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.972. This means that 97.2% of the variation in literacy ability is explained by the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum. These results demonstrate that the curriculum effectively enhances students’ reading comprehension, critical thinking, and reflective learning abilities. In conclusion, the Merdeka Curriculum strengthens the culture of literacy in Islamic schools and contributes to developing a more adaptive, relevant, and student-centered learning model that promotes independent learning.