IMPLEMENTING THE COMPUTER-BASED NATIONAL EXAMINATION IN INDONESIAN SCHOOLS: THE CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES

In line with technological development, the computer-based national examination (CBNE) has become an urgent matter as its implementation faces various challenges, especially in developing countries. Strategies in implementing CBNE are thus needed to face the challenges. The aim of this research was to analyse the challenges and strategies of Indonesian schools in implementing CBNE. This research was qualitative phenomenological in nature. The data were collected through a questionnaire and a focus group discussion. The research participants were teachers who were test supervisors and technicians at junior high schools and senior high schools (i.e. Level 1 and 2) and vocational high schools implementing CBNE in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The data were analysed using the Bogdan and Biklen model. The results indicate that (1) in implementing CBNE, the schools should initially make efforts to provide the electronic equipment supporting it; (2) the implementation of CBNE is challenged by problems concerning the Internet and the electricity supply; (3) the test supervisors have to learn their duties by themselves and (4) the students are not yet familiar with the beneficial use of information technology. To deal with such challenges, the schools employed strategies by making efforts to provide the standard electronic equipment through collaboration with the students' parents and improving the curriculum content by adding information technology as a school subject.