60

PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATION OF TEACHING 
AS A PROFESSION AND ITS IMPLICATION 

ON TEACHER EDUCATION1

Soedijarto2

Abstract
This paper aimed at explaining philosophical foundation of teaching as profession and 
suggesting its implication on the program of teacher education in Indonesia. A history 
of teacher education is described in the first discussion to provide a background for the 
idea of teaching as professional occupation. The history of teacher education starting 
from Ducth colonial era until the Education Law on Teacher and Lecturer number 14 
Year 2005 prevailed has a complex dynamic where teachers’ qualifications before the 
education law existed were various. The Education law makes teachers’ qualifications 
more homogenous where it states that a teacher needs to have a full bachelor degree 
(S1) or at least diploma IV. The demand of law is reasonable because teachers’ role and 
responsibility are very challenging. In accordance with this, the philosophical foundation 
of teaching as a profession is to achieve education missions to support existence of a 
modern and democratic country of Indonesia based on Pancasila.  It means that teachers 
need to be competent enough to develop competences and mould character of students 
based on stated competence standards. Competent teachers have to be able to arrange 
instructional planning, to design instructional program, to manage instructional processes, 
to evaluate instructional processes and achievement, to diagnose learning difficulties, to 
encourage and to motivate learners. To be competent teachers, they need to accomplish 
three stages of teacher education and training, namely: 1) academic professional education; 
2) professional education and training; 3) practical professional training. 

of globalization, and to foster social 
cohesion in must be met from primary 
and secondary school onwards. Teachers 
are instrumental in the development of 
attitudes in positive or negative to 
learning. Teachers can awaken curiosity, 
stimulate independence, encourage 
intellectual irigour and create the 
conditions for success: in formal and 

I. INTRODUCTION
“Teachers have crucial roles to 

play in preparing young people not only 
to face the future with confidence to 
build it with purpose and responsibility. 
The new challenges facing education 
to contribute to development, to help 
people understand, and to some extend 
come terms with the phenomenon 

1 Presented at “International Conference on Teacher Education : Redesigning Professional 
Teacher Education”, in UPI Bandung, April 6,2010

2 Professor of Education, Jakarta State University
3 Jacques Delors, LEARNING : THE TREASURE WITHIN, Report to Unesco of the International 

Commission on Education for the Zls` Century (1998), Paris, Unesco, p.141

International Journal of Education
Vol. 5, No. 1, November 2010, 60-69



Soedijarto, Philosophical Foundation of Teaching as a Profession and Its Implication 

61

continuing education.’ Intentionally, I 
start writing this paper by quoting the 
conclusion of the UNESCO.3

International Commission on 
Education for 21st Century, to recognize 
how crucial has the role of the teachers 
been expected in preparing young 
generation to face the hard reality of 
world in the 21st Century that known 
as the Era of Globalization. History 
has also recorded that, in the third 
decade of the 20th century, Indonesian 
National Education Hero Ki Hajar 
Dewantara though his motto of the role 
of the teacher has stated : Ing Ngarso 
Sung Tulodho (before the learner give 
example), Ing Madyo Mangun Karso 
(in the middle of the learners give 
encouragement and motivation), TUT 
WURI HANDAYANI (from behind 
empowering the learners), has put how 
crucial should be the role of the teacher 
to mould characters and mind of the 
learners. This meaningful “motto” 
seems not to be understood correctly. 
For when we follow the Indonesia’s 
education history, we see that have 
not - translated this motto properly to 
develop teacher education.

When we read the function and 
aims of education stated in Education 
Law No. 20 Year 2003, it is clear how 
important to translate the message of Ki 
Hajar Dewantara and the conclusion of 
Unesco International Commission on 
Education for 21” Century regarding the 
expected role of the teacher as quoted, 
into the redesigning professional teacher 
education.

Based on this background fulfilling 
the request of the committee of this 
conferenc , I would discuss the following 

topics : (1) The history of teacher e 
uca ion in ndonesia; (2) The meaning 
of teaching as a profession to meet 
the demands of the expected crucial 
role of teacher; (3) The implication 
teaching as profession on the program 
of teacher education; and (4) concluding 
remarks.

II. THE HISTORY OF TEACHER 
EDUCATION IN INDONESIA
Since 1950 Indonesia through its 

education laws, year 1950 jo 1954, 
1965, 1989, and 2003 has always stress 
on the aims of education to prepare 
young Indonesia to be morally mature, 
healthy, skillful, independent, creative, 
intelligent, democratic and responsible 
to the society and nation at large. It is 
clear that to be able to prepare young 
generation with the those characteristics 
need teachers that are capable of taking 
roles as expected by Ki Hajar Dewantara 
as well as Unesco commission that have 
been quoted. The history of Indonesia 
educaticn show that, before 2005, with 
promulgation of the Education Law 
on Teacher and Lecturer No. 14 Year 
2005, the teacher education to prepare 
teachers, look upon from the demands 
of the expected roles of teacher, have 
not been relevant. The following will 
show how Indonesia has run teacher 
education.

During the Dutch colonial time, 
before 1942, when the educational 
!,vstem was so stratified between 
school for the villages (volk schools 
and second class school), schools for 
the children of the civil servant (Dutch 
Indonesian School), and schooi for 
European and Aristocrat (European 



62

International Journal of Education, Vol. 5, No. 1, November 2010

School), the Teacher Education was also 
so diversified.

Education for Villages School 
teachers is only two years education after 
elementary school (courses for village 
school), education for Second Class 
School teachers is four years teacher 
education after elementary school 
((Normal School), while education for 
teachers of Dutch Indonesia School 
is six years teacher education after 
Dutch Indonesian elementary school 
(Dutch-Indonesia Teacher Education). 
At that era Village School is only three 
years education with local language 
as medium of instruction, Second 
Class School is five years with Local 
and Malay (Indonesia) languages 
for medium of instruction, while 
Dutch Indonesia Elementary School is 
seven years with Dutch as medium of 
instruction, and European Elementary 
School vears with Dutch as medium of 
instruction.

After independence Indonesia 
eliminate the stratified school system 
and adopted unified of school system. 
Thus Indonesia elementary school 
(people school) are open for all citizens 
disregard their social background, 
besides on the parallel level there are 
Islamic School (Madrasah Ibtidaiyah 
[Elementary School]), (Madrasah 
Tsanawiyah [Junior High School]), 
and (Madrasah Aliyah [Senior High 
School]). To run this school the education 
of the teachers are as follow :
1. Up to 1957, the education for 

elementary school teachers is four 
years teacher education (Teacher 
education B, SGB); the education 
of junior high school teachers is 

three years after junior high school 
(Teacher education A, SGA), 
while the education of senior high 
school teacher is two years subject 
matter courses, called B I, B II.

2.  Since 1957 up to 1989, the 
education for elementary school 
teacher is SGA for junior high 
school teachers is two years 
teacher education after senior high 
school (PGSLP), while for senior 
high school teachers are Courses 
B I and B II
In 1954 for the first time Indonesia 

institute Formal Teacher Education 
as post secondary education, at the 
level of university education known 
“Perguruan Tinggi Pendidikan Guru 
(PTPG), Higher Education for Teacher 
Education that prepare secondary 
school teachers. This institute in 1957 
integrated into university system became 
the Faculty Teacher of Education and 
Education Science (FKIP). And in 
1963 through political process changed 
became Institute of Teacher Education 
and Education Science (IKIP) by 
Presidential Decree No. 1 Year 1963. In 
1999 the Institute developed into general 
University System one of them is IKIP 
Bandung that kept the characteristic of 
being a higher education that concentrate 
on education with the name Bandung 
University of Education.

The other development on Teacher 
education that needs to be recorded is the 
abolition of the SPG and integrated into 
IKIP/FKIP in 1989 with the emergence 
of two years teacher education after 
senior high school for elementary 
school teacher known as Diploma II.



Soedijarto, Philosophical Foundation of Teaching as a Profession and Its Implication 

63

With this historical background, 
at present we are facing heterogeneous 
education qualification of teachers 
from those with six years education 
after elementary school to those 
having graduate and post graduate 
degree in teacher education. Thus the 
promulgation of the Education Law 
No. 14 Year 2005 on Teacher and 
Lecturer is really a historical stage on 
Indonesia Education in general and 
teacher education in particular. For with 
this decision the status of teaching as a 
profession has parallel degree with other 
profession such as Medical and Law.

The question is what is the meaning 
of having teaching as a profession of the 
same level with medical doctor and 
law? The following section is going to 
discuss the issue.

III. THE MEANING OF 
TEACHING AS PROFESSION 
AND ITS MEANING
After learning the history of 

Indonesia Teacher Education and 
the roles of teacher as expected by 
Ki Hajar Dewantara, and UNESCO 
Commission of Education for 21th 
C e n t u r y,  I  c a n  u n d e r s t a n d  w h y 
Indonesian education system that has 
been put as an instrument to contribute 
to the building of Indonesia Nation State 
that is modern and democratic based the 
Pancasila (Five Principles, this is my 
free translation from “mencerdaskan 
kehidupan bangsa”4 have not been fully 
successful. One important factor they 
seems to be neglected with regard to the 

4 A term used in Indonesia Constitution 1945 
related to the mission of government of 
Free Indonesia

unsuccessful education mission is on the 
teacher qualification. Thus also since 
1950 Indonesia has conducted series 
of education reform through changing 
education law and school curriculum, 
the last one is Education Law No. 20 
Year 2003 that adopted modern theories 
and philosophy of education such as 
active learning model, education as a 
process cultural transformation, and 
education has a function to develop 
competence and mould character5, I 
doubt that this mission can be achieved 
with unqualified teachers. In this regard 
I look at the Education Law No. 14 
Year 2005 as a milestone to make the 
idea to put education as instrument 
to contribute to the achievement of 
the mission of nation and character 
building can be achieved. For this new 
law has put teaching having a status as 
professional that required “Advanced 
Education and Special Training”, thus 
equal with education for medical doctor 
and other profession. This means that 
in my perception teachers that has 
not get the qualification of advanced 
education and special training (S 1+) 
cannot be regarded as professional 
teachers. Thus up to the present time 
most of Indonesian teachers have not 
had a status of professional teachers. 
For this we cannot blame them of 
being incapable of taking a role to 
develop competence and moulding 
character. For this role, teacher must 
to capable of conducting planning, and 
designing learning program, to develop 
learning program, to manage learning 
process, to evaluate learning process 
5 Education Law No. 20 Year 2003, articles 

1,3 and 4.



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International Journal of Education, Vol. 5, No. 1, November 2010

and learning achievement and diagnose 
learning difficulties, to encourage and 
to motivate the learner, and other roles 
expected by Ki Hajar Dewantara. Thus 
more than other profession teacher 
is a profession that not only should 
be able to do planning, development, 
management, evaluation and diagnosis 
but the teacher also expected to be a 
leader, a motivator, as well as ideal 
type of person to be followed. For this 
very reason, might be, why Plato in 
his book The Republic Book VII put 
Teacher, beside Research scientist, and 
Legislator that need higher education as 
stated by R. S. Brumbaugh :

“And a center of higher education 
continues the training of a more highly 
selected group of student, who will 
become research scientist, educators, 
and legislators”.6

In Plato’s view the position of 
teacher is equal with legislator. In 
this regard he said : The teacher and 
legislator are the twin guardians of 
the society.7 Thus if Plato, put the 
position of teacher so high as parallel 
with legislator, in 1969 Martin Buber 
view that the essence of education is 
essentially education of character8 put 
the role of the teacher, in the following 
statement :

“For genuine educator does not 
merely individual function of his pupil, 
as one intending to teach him only to 
know or capable of certain definite 
6 Robert S. Brumbaugh & Nathaniel M 

Lawrence, Philosphers on Education : 
Six Essays on The Foundation of Western 
(1963), Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. p. 39

7   Ibid., p.38
8 Martin Buber, Between Man and Man, 

1969,The Macmillan Co., p. 104

things; but his concern is always the 
person as a whole, both in the actually in 
which he lives, before you know and in 
his possibilities, what he can become.9

With regard to look at the strategic 
position of the teacher in the educational 
process that include moulding character 
as expected by UNESCO Commission 
as well as education. In the early 20th 
Century (1926) Soekarno, then the 
President of Republic of Indonesia 
(1945 - 1965), referring to Jean Jaaes 
stress that teacher can educate not only 
base on his willingness, or knowledge 
but especially what “He is”, means his 
personality as the personification of 
values”10

From series of discussions stated 
in this section, it is clear that the 
philosophical foundation underlying 
teaching as a professional occupations 
is to achieve the mission of education 
to support the building of nation 
state of Indonesia that is modem and 
democratic based in the Pancasila. For 
this, education should be run to develop 
competence and moulding character of 
the Indonesian young generation. For 
this very reason, only teachers with 
professional qualification that has the 
capability of planning, and designing 
learning program, developing learning 
program managing learning process, 
evaluating learning process and learnin2 
achievement, and diagnosing learninQ 
difficulty as well as able to lead, to 
motivate, to encourage, and become 

9 Ibid., p. 104
10 `Soekarno “Menjadi Goeroe di Masa 

Kebangunan” (To become teacher in Era 
of development : In the book “Under The 
banner of Revolution) Jakarta, 1959



Soedijarto, Philosophical Foundation of Teaching as a Profession and Its Implication 

65

a personification of values that will 
capable of bearing the roles. The 
question is “How to develop and run 
teacher education that can produce 
professional teacher as describe in this 
section?” The following section is going 
to discuss this topic.

IV. THE IMPLICATION 
OF TEACHING AS A 
PROFESSION ON TEACHER 
EDUCATION SYSTEM
As discussed in the previous 

section it is clear how many education 
philosophers from Plato to Ki Hajar 
Dewantara as well as studies conducted 
by UNESCO has put the position 
of teacher as the most crucial factor 
in making the education process 
successful in achieving educational 
goals. And that, for Indonesia, the 
goals of the education has not been 
only for mastering three R, Reading, 
Writing, and Arithmetic for elementary 
schools and mastering knowledge and 
skills for post-elementary schools 
but for developing competence and 
moulding character of young generation 
as a part of building nation state 
of Indonesia. Thus this imply that 
teacher should not be only the one that 
capable of mastering knowledge and 
transferring it to the learners but be 
should, in the words of UNESCO that 
has been quoted “can awaken curiosity, 
stimulate independence, encourage 
intellectual rigour and create condition 
of success”. Even Plato put educator as 
the guardian of the society. Ironically 
in my observation since 1950 up to 
2005, we have not seriously prepare 
teachers to act as expected by Plato, 

Ki Hajar Dewantara, and UNESCO 
International Commission Education 
for the 215’ Century. The last mentioned 
commission even stress that the role of 
teacher is the most important in this 
century than before as stated in the 
following quotation:

“The importance of the role of 
teachers an agent of change, promoting 
understanding and tolerance, has never 
been more obvious than today. It is 
likely to become even more critical 
in the twenty-first century. The need 
for change, from narrow nationalism 
to universalism, from ethic to cultural 
prejudice, to tolerance, understanding 
and pluralism, from autocracy to 
democracy, in its various manifestations, 
from a technologically divided world 
where high technology is the privilege 
of the few to technologically united 
world, places enormous responsibilities 
on teachers who participate in the 
moulding of the characters and minds 
of the new generation.11

After knowing how high has the 
expectation of the role and capacity 
of teachers to support educational 
program that has a function in the 
process of national development, in the 
word of Education Law No. 20 Year 
2003, “developing dignified national 
civilization”12, the question is “how to 
prepare them?” To answer this question 
we should have a clear concept on 
what competence the teacher should 
master, and what basic knowledge they 
need to acquire to become professional 
teacher that can take a role in planning, 
developing, managing, evaluate, and 
11 Jacques Delors, op.cit., pp. 141 - 142 
12 Article 3 Education Law No. 20 Year 2003



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International Journal of Education, Vol. 5, No. 1, November 2010

diagnose learning program relevant to 
learner’s background and the educational 
objective relevant to societal demands.

In practice we can observe that 
there are teachers that might master the 
subject-matter they should transfer as 
teaching material but don’t understand 
the characteristics of the children, 
psychologically,as well as culturally. 
There are also teachers that love children 
but almost don’t master the subject-
matter. The first type of teachers usually 
could be found among high school 
teachers, while the second one mostly 
could be found among elementary school 
teachers. This can happened because 
many high school teachers disregard 
the importance of understanding the 
learners, while many elementary school 
teachers are very weak in mastering 
subject-matter especially in mathematic, 
many of them even have been poor 
in mathematics since they were in 
high school. This condition cannot 
be tolerated. This means that teacher 
should not only master Subject matter 
and understanding the characteristics of 
the learners in accordance with their age 
and background but also of mastering 
various basic knowledge such as learning 
theories, educational technology, the 
philosophy of education, sociology of 
lcation, and anthropology of education, 
as well as the philosophy and the state 
system ~ the nation in which schools 
are operating and functioning.

In short, to make teacher capable 
of conducting teachers role that include 
planning, developing, programming, 
managing, evaluation, and di. relevant 
to the learner’s need and educational 
objectives a, should master the following 

knowledge : (1) the charat accordance 
with age and their background; (2) 
scientific disc, ways of knowing; (3) 
learning theories, educational technology 
including learning methodology; 
(5) education evaluation system (6) 
philosophy of education, sociology of 
education and anthropology of education; 
and (7) the state philosophy and state 
system of the nation.

Certainly in the world has had 
a long tradition in running teacher 
education system. However we still need 
to question “how far has each of our 
teachers educational system has really 
been planned as a professional teacher 
education in sense of an institution of 
advance education and special training 
that can produce professional teacher 
that master academic discipline and 
professional knowledge as has been 
identified and mastering professional 
competence as mentioned before?”

As has been discussed in the 
second section, Indonesia’s experience 
in running teacher education system 
has developed from four to six years 
teachers education (SGB & SGA) after 
elementary school for elementary school 
teachers and two years teacher training 
courses after senior high school for 
high school teacher, and in 1954 started 
running higher education institute for 
teacher education (PTPG) (three to 
five years education after senior high 
school) for high school teachers. This 
institute of higher education for teacher 
education that as established in 1954, 
as independence Teacher College has 
evolutionary change into School of 
Education of the University system in 
1957, in 1963 then become the Institute 



Soedijarto, Philosophical Foundation of Teaching as a Profession and Its Implication 

67

of Teacher Education and Educational 
Science (IKIP), and eventually by 1999, 
all of IKIPs transform into general 
university system that still has function 
to produce teachers and other education 
personal. It is importance to note here, 
that in Indonesia education history that, 
although the teachers college have been 
established since 1954, but the existence 
of teacher training course two years after 
senior high school (B I) and two years 
course after (B II) as well as elementary 
school teacher training (SPG) three 
years after junior highschool prevail 
until 1963, B I and B II were integrated 
into IKIP and SPG was eliminated in 
1989 when requirement to become 
elementary school teachers is two years 
education after senior high school (D Il, 
Diplom II). With this glimpse history 
of Indonesia teacher education we 
can have an idea how heterogeneous 
are the educational background of 
Indonesia teaching personnel. Thus with 
the new Law on Teacher No. 14 Year 
2005 that regulate that the minimum 
education qualification of teacher will 
be university graduate or equivalent 
that is D IV four years non academic 
higher education program, hopefully 
will make the educational qualification 
of Indonesian teachers will be more 
homogeneous and professional.

The question further is “how to 
make the four years higher education 
program for preparing teacher as stated 
in new law on teacher will be made used 
as an effective, relevant, and efficient 
professional teacher education program, 
that can produce professional teachers 
that master knowledge and competences 
properly?”

We  r e c o g n i z e  t h a t  t h e r e  a r e 
various models of teacher education 
program in the world, each with its 
own characteristics due to the stage of 
education development of each nation. 
For this, this paper in presenting the 
idea of professional teacher education 
program, certainly will be based on 
the writers understanding in the state 
and role of the education in Indonesian 
National Development.

In the development country such 
as the United States teacher education 
as professional education has been 
regarded as post-gradute program, for 
this the prerequisite for the professional 
study of teaching is a bachelor degree 
in the arts and science13. Its seems 
that the professional study of teaching 
program is following a consecutive 
model, for after only mastering basic 
knowledge and scientific discipline they 
can pursue professional teaching study. 
Since Indonesian Law on Teacher put 
the requirement education qualification 
of teachers is university graduate of 
the first stratum (equivalent to BA/ 
B.Sc.) this means that teacher education 
program should be run in eight semesters 
or about four years program. In this line 
this paper is proposing three stages of 
program :
A.  Academic Professional Education 

in Six Semesters
 At this stage, the program is 

planned to help teachers candidates 
acquire and master essential 
knowledge of relevant scientific 

13 Task force for Teaching as a Profession, 
A Nation Prepared : Teachers for the 21st 
Century, Carnegie Forum on Education and 
The Economy, 1986, p. 3



68

International Journal of Education, Vol. 5, No. 1, November 2010

discipline and knowledge related 
to pre-professional teaching 
study, such as psychology 
(learning theories, developmental 
psychology), philosophy and 
theories of education, educational 
psychology (including evaluation, 
test, and measurement), and 
educational technology.

B.  Professional Education and 
Professional Training

 At this stage, candidates learning to 
make use the relevant knowledge 
master at the first stage program 
to plan, develop, manage and 
evaluate learning program in 
accordance with their relevant 
specialization (elementary school 
teachers, subjectmatter teachers)

C.  Practical Professional Training
 After finishing the two stages 

of education, the students will 
be graduated as the holder of 
academic professional degree in 
teacher education but has not get 
certificate of professional teacher. 
For this, following the practice of 
preparing medical doctor, teachers 
candidate that has hold academic 
degree should follow professional 
training to implement all the 
knowledge and basic competence 
of professional teacher in school 
set up and act as assistant teacher 
for at least one semester before 
getting certificate as professional 
teacher.
The question need to be discussed 

is should teacher education program 
carried out in “concurrently way” or 
“consecutive way”? However will 
not discuss this issue lenghly, but 

since teacher as expected by Ki Hajar 
Dewantara should be able to become 
an ideal example before the learners, 
preparing teacher with sound character 
and personality, “concurrent system”, 
especially for elementary and junior high 
school is more preferable. To explain 
this reason beside this preference need 
special paper. Since I am not assign to 
discuss this issue I prefer not to discuss 
this further.

Before closing this section, allow 
me to express my view that to make 
this program be an effective program 
it is desirable to have the last stage of 
the program the teacher candidate stay 
in teacher education dormitory. And 
don’t forget that selection of candidates 
is very important. For Plato, teacher 
candidate should be among selected 
group of students. In this case, the 
Indonesian Association of Educationist 
in March 9, 2007 has proposed to the 
President of the Republic of Indonesia 
that teacher should be selected among 
high school graduates with grade in 
Mathematic at least 7 (scale l - 10).14

V. CONCLUDING REMAKS
From the discussion presented 

from Section I to IV, some conclusions 
can be generated:
I .  Although since 1945 Indonesia 

has put educational system as a 
part of building nation state of 
Indonesia based in the Pancasila, 
until 2005 teacher education 

14 “Rekomendasi Tentang Strategi dan 
Kebijakan Penyelenggaraan Pendidikan 
Nasional”, dalam buku Soedijarto, 
LANDASAN DAN ARAH PENDIDIKAN 
NASIONAL KITA, (2008),Jakarta, Penerbit 
Buku KOMPAS hal. 464-478



Soedijarto, Philosophical Foundation of Teaching as a Profession and Its Implication 

69

has not been designed to have 
teachers that capable of taking 
role to develop competence and 
moulding character of the young 
generation

2. Teaching as a profession should 
be interpreted as putting teaching 
as an occupation that require 
advance education and special 
training, that is a profession that 
make the holder can do planning, 
developing, managing, evaluating 
learning program and diagnosing 
learning difficulties.

3.  To be able to produce professional 
teacher with the characteristics stated 
in part 2, teacher education program 
should be design through three 
stages :(1) academic professional 
education; (2) professional 
education and professional training 
and (3) practical professional 
training. To make this program 
effective “concurrent model of 
teacher education”, especially for 
elementary and junior high school 
is desirable.
These are some thoughts on teacher 

education that I can contribute for 
further discussion.