From competency-based curriculum to Merdeka curriculum: A bibliometric review of curriculum reform in Indonesia

Abstract

Background/purpose.  Curriculum reform in Indonesia has continuously evolved from the Competency-Based Curriculum (KBK) to the Merdeka Curriculum in response to educational transformation, technological advancement, and post-pandemic learning challenges. Although numerous studies have discussed curriculum reform in Indonesia, limited research has systematically mapped its intellectual structure, thematic evolution, and research trends using bibliometric approaches. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the development and trends of curriculum reform research in Indonesia.

Materials/methods.  This study employed a bibliometric research design using a quantitative descriptive approach. Data were collected from Google Scholar through the Publish or Perish (PoP) application covering publications from 2020–2026. A total of 500 publications were initially retrieved, and 132 relevant publications were selected after the screening process. The data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and VOSviewer software.

Results. The findings revealed a significant increase in curriculum reform publications during 2023–2025, with the highest number recorded in 2025 (37.88%) and the lowest in 2020 and 2021 (1.52%). The co-occurrence visualization identified dominant themes related to competency, curriculum, KBK, KTSP, and Merdeka Curriculum, indicating the continuity of curriculum reform discourse in Indonesia. Citation analysis showed that highly influential studies mainly focused on curriculum transformation, educational recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, and independent learning implementation.

Conclusion.  Curriculum reform research in Indonesia continues to evolve toward more flexible, student-centered, and future-oriented educational paradigms. The findings contribute to understanding the intellectual development and thematic trends of curriculum reform research while highlighting future studies on digital curriculum innovation, adaptive learning systems, and artificial intelligence integration in education.