Teachers’ Perceptions of Deep Learning in History Education

Abstract

This study is motivated by the tendency for history instruction in schools to be dominated by conventional, rote-memorization-based methods, which can limit students’ active engagement, motivation, and critical thinking skills. The study aims to describe teachers’ perceptions of the deep learning approach in history instruction and to identify the obstacles they face in implementing this approach at SMA Negeri 2 Sipora. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed. The research informants consisted of three history teachers. Data were collected through checklist-based observation, interviews, and document analysis, and were analyzed through the stages of data collection, reduction, presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results indicate that teachers hold a highly positive perception of deep learning as a student-centered approach that emphasizes in-depth conceptual understanding, specifically learning that is mindful, meaningful, and joyful. This approach has proven effective in enhancing students’ active engagement, motivation, and critical thinking skills by connecting past historical events with real-life contexts. However, implementation in the field faces several obstacles, including: (1) the need for students to adapt, as they are accustomed to passive learning methods; (2) the diversity of students’ socioeconomic backgrounds and family geographical locations; (3) limited technological facilities, such as an insufficient number of projectors; and (4) limited internet access and students’ ability to afford data packages. In conclusion, the deep learning approach has proven capable of increasing students’ active engagement in learning; however, optimizing its implementation requires improvements in school facilities and infrastructure, stronger parental support, and the ongoing development of teacher creativity.