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AN ANALYSIS OF ACCELERATED CLASSROOM IN
INDONESIA
Siti Safura 1)
1)
Tadris Bahasa Inggris, Fakultas Agama Islam, Universitas Muhammadiyah Aceh
email: sitisafura11@gmail.com

Abstract: Accelerated classroom has become the meaningful program in the school that given for the
special students. Since the use of same curriculum that has been modified between acceleration class and
normal class becomes a debate. This paper presents an analysis of the differences in achievement
between acceleration students and regular students. Also, it gives a description of prospects and
problems of accelerated classroom in Indonesia. The account of the difference between regular students
and non-regular students is exposed from three paradigm; psychology, curriculum, and economic. The
conversation provides pro and con regarding to the existence of the acceleration class. The reflection
about the gifted students who have high ability, Indonesia should hold acceleration class to meet their
needs.

Keywords : Curriculum, Accelerated classroom, Acceleration students, Regular students

Curriculum is one of the most important
devices in learning process. It is as a planned

learning so that it affects the shape of education
system.

system that designed to manage the teaching and

The education system has aims to develop the

learning process. It also provides the expectations

progress of curriculum that involves school

(objectives) in educational program. According to

improvement. It controls every process in

Taba (1962), the curriculum is all of the learning of

curriculum and generates new term in the school to

students which is planned by and directed by the

attain its educational expectations. Moreover, it

school to attain its educational goals. It implies that

focuses on the appropriate curriculum that should

the curriculum in the school as an implementation

be used at school. So, in doing this, the curriculum

to run all process in learning. Besides, Ralph Tyler

can prepare the students to enhance their ability by

(1950) defines curriculum is as a plan for

grouping students in special class (acceleration) to

achieving the goals. He mentioned that there are

observe their achievement.

four steps of learning that involved in planning

Acceleration is a program provided by the

curriculum; purposes, design, implementation, and

school to accelerate the educational process of

assessment. These steps help the school in realizing

students. It is most meaningful when a school

the planning activity to attain the goals. Therefore,

district has a well-established curriculum and the

the curriculum becomes a vital instrument in

successive years of school involve steadily

establishing the process of learning in the school

increasing levels of difficulty. Acceleration implies

because it contains the purposes of learning,

that academically advanced students will progress

subject matters, methods, and evaluation of

faster through the school system than other

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students. It means adapting curriculum to the

activities like sports, dancing, debate community,

student's assessed level of mastery, rather than

and so on, in which they can improve their social

insisting that a single curriculum is appropriate for

relation. While, the difference between acceleration

all students of the same age. It also implies that

classes with regular class in curriculum is only

students who master more advanced subjects will

about time. Teachers do not need to take much

receive academic credit and promotion based on

time to discuss about certain materials in

their level of mastery, not the "seat time" spent in

acceleration class. The teachers only explain the

school (Margaret De Lacy, 1996). Also, according

surface of it, so it becomes students’ job to learn

to Pressey (1949), acceleration is an intervention

deeper and short time to finish all materials so that

on educational program where students may have

the acceleration students need high motivation and

study at a faster phase or at a younger age than a

challenge (Leading Education, 2012). Besides,

regular program. Thus, the system of the

teachers who teach the gifted students, they are

acceleration might be able to prepare the students

expected to have high capability. It is because the

to complete their study faster than normal rate.

acceleration students have high ability and skills

Students who sit in the acceleration class are

(i.e. quick process of learning and different talent,

the gifted students in which they have higher

needs, and academic capacity) so that they can

ability than non-gifted students. Additionally, the

understand material quickly compared to regular

acceleration students are expected to be able to

students (Leading Education, 2012). Therefore, the

master every subject or material faster compared to

acceleration students can save more time to

normal students. They have high motivation and

continue their learning on the next materials

difficult challenge to reach their achievement.

without repeating materials.

Dweck and Elliot (1983) demonstrated the
relationship

between

positive

So, In Indonesia, the use of same curriculum

achievement

between acceleration class and normal class

motivation and task difficulty at a challenging

becomes a debate. It is because the system of

level. Therefore, it can be said that their

curriculum that used similar as the regular class

achievement will be different with the normal class

curriculum. Even though, the curriculum has been

students because they have higher expectation in

modified especially about the time and based on

learning.

students’ needs.

On the other hand, if it is observed from the
activity that the gifted students and normal students
do, it is not much different. Acceleration class

Purposes of the Paper

The purposes of this paper are to find out

provides students’ subject material the same as

whether there are differences in achievement

regular class and also uses similar curriculum.

between acceleration students and regular

Moreover, acceleration students have both theory

students in the classroom in Indonesia. Also,

class and practical class like normal students. The

the writer wants to observe whether there are

gifted students may also join some extracurricular

prospects

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and problems

of accelerated
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classroom in Indonesia.
History

of

According

Acceleration

Program

in

Indonesia

In Indonesia, acceleration program has
been introduced since 1989 (Nasicihin, 2004).
In National Education System Act 2003
(section 5, article 6), the Ministry of National
education (MONE) recognizes students who
have high intelligence (IQ) intelligence. The
government states that special students should
get a special education (Gunawan, 2007).
According to Akbar and Hawadi (2002),
acceleration program in Indonesian school is
generally a grade-skipping. A student may
have a grade-skipping if there are given a
grade level placement ahead than same-age
peers. Despite there are various techniques to
identify the students’ giftedness, most of
Indonesian schools are using the IQ test
(Mohammad Fahmi, Achmad Maulana and
Arief Anshory Yusuf, 2011). And, the National
Association for Gifted Children or NAGC
(2007) believes that the acceleration program
is suited to gifted academically students as the
acceleration process

provide appropriate

academic challenge and reduce the time for
students to complete schooling. Numerous
meaning of giftedness have been proposed
over the years, varying from the ability to
achieve high level or intelligence (IQ) test to
achievement

in

multiple

areas

such

motivation, creativity, and others (Stepens and
Karnes, 2000).
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to

Mohammad

Fahmi,

Achmad Maulana and Arief Anshory Yusuf
(2011), many studies support the educators,
theorist, researchers and other authorities that
gifted education will increase academic
achievement of high ability students (e.g.,
Daurio, 1979, Carter, 1986, Lynch and Mills,
1990, Parke, 1983, Reis,1993, Robert, 1992,
Stodard and Renzulli, 1983, Delcourt et al.,
2007, steenbergen-Hu and Moon, 2011, Kulik
and Kulik, 1984, kulik and kulik, 1992).
Moreover,

Rogers

(2004)

reports

that

accelerated students consistently have higher
academic achievement than non accelerated
students, no matter which form of acceleration
is employed.
However, in recent years there are a
number of studies that investigate the
relationship between gifted education and
acceleration

program

and

students

performance in Indonesia. For example,
Suharti (1997) found that gifted male students
outperformed their female peers in academic
achievement. Gunawan (2007) argues that
Indonesian schools need to divide gifted
academically students from their same-age
peers. Additionally, acceleration class is not
necessary a best method to manage a
giftedness in schools. Farikahn (2006) found
that students who participated in acceleration
class have lower social adjustment than their
peers in non–accelerated class. Finally,
Puspitosari (2008) identify the difference of
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emotional quotient score and anxiety score

becomes a concern to create qualified learning

between acceleration class students and

circumstances for gifted students in Indonesia.

regular class students in Muhammadiyah 1

The Department of National Education

senior secondary school Yogyakarta. She

has provided a legal regulation allowing

found that acceleration class students have

schools to provide acceleration opportunities

higher score on anxiety than their peers. She

for gifted students. In section 5, article 4 of

also found that IQ score between acceleration

National Education System Act of 2003 it is

students and regular students is not significant

stated that any citizen who has special talent

(Mohammad Fahmi, Achmad Maulana and

and intelligence should get special education.

Arief Anshory Yusuf, 2011).

Section 12, article 1 states that every learner in

So, the acceleration classroom program in

any grade level has the right to … (b) obtain

Indonesia emerges because some people

educational services based upon their interest,

consider that the students should be divided in

talent, and ability; … (f) finish their grade

two groups (acceleration and regular classes)

based on how fast they could learn. The time

because of their intelligence (IQ), but others

they need to finish their study should not

consider that the students should not be

incompatible with the regulation (Depdiknas,

separated

2003 p. 160). By doing so, quite surprisingly,

into

accelerated

and

non-

accelerated.
System

of

many schools compete each others to open
Acceleration

Program

in

Indonesia

Indonesia has a lot of students with high
ability and skills, so the acceleration should be
held because it will help gifted students to
meet their needs (i.e. learning quicker than
others)

(Leading

Education,

2012).

Acceleration class program is now becoming
a trend in Indonesian primary and secondary
schools (Kamdi, 2004). This implies that the
acceleration

class

strongly

supports

to

improve the quality of education and also it
becomes

a

modern

term

to

enhance

educational system in Indonesia. So, it

Volume 1, No. 1, Januari 2017

acceleration class in response to that
regulation.
Toth (1999) identifies acceleration into
the following definitions: ‘early admission,
grade skipping, advancing to a higher grade of
a specific subject area, early graduation, or
concurrent enrolment in college’. Some other
options

of

acceleration

are

continuous

progress, content acceleration, testing out of
course requirements, advanced course in
school breaks or after hours, correspondence
courses, advanced placement courses, dual
enrolment, specially designed credit courses,
and radical acceleration (Columbia, 1995). A
lot of schools around the world choose and
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consider

acceleration

program

as

an

15. Advanced Placement

appropriate way to fulfill the gifted children

16. Credit by Examination

needs (Belcastro, 1998; Lambert, 2005; Toth,

17. Acceleration in College

1999). A survey in Iowa Public School

18. Early Entrance into Middle School, High

districts in 1997 shows that 63.7 per cent

School, or College

public schools implement (moderate and

So, the students who sit in acceleration

radical) acceleration program for gifted

class will get test to see their ability whether

students (Belcastro, 1998). So, it shows that

they are capable or not. Meanwhile, the school

the acceleration program is the effective

which provides acceleration classes should

system to speed up the students in completing

follow the regulation that required by

their learning. Additionally, the students can

Department

apply the admission to higher educational

(DepDiknas) to use multiple ways in selecting

level, it is because the acceleration program

the

prepare the students with higher grade (higher

determining the students’ giftedness, based on

achievement).

the information book published by the

Southern and Jones (2004) identified

gifted

of

National

students.

The

Education
methods

of

Department of National Education, that are the

there are 18 educational types of accelerative

following ways:

programs that are:

a.

Academic records, students who have

1.

Early Admission to Kindergarten

outstanding academic records might enter

2.

Early Admission to First Grade

the acceleration class,

3.

Grade-Skipping

4.

Continuous Progress

5.

Self-Paced Instruction

6.

Subject-Matter

b.

Students who get IQ test score of 140 or
more,

c.

Acceleration/Partial

peers nomination, teachers nomination,

Acceleration
7.

Combined Classes

8.

Curriculum Compacting

9.

Telescoping Curriculum

10. Mentoring

Subjective information: self nomination,
parents nomination,

d.

Not in sick condition because of an acute
disease,

e.

Approval from the parents and the
students themselves (Depdiknas, 2006).

11. Extracurricular Programs
12. Correspondence Courses
13. Early Graduation
14. Concurrent/Dual Enrollment
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However, most of Indonesian schools
only use IQ test in grouping the students. The
groups are, consequently, not subject but
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generic based grouping, where any children

Finally, Indonesian schools should consider

who are considered to have high intelligence

the system of acceleration classroom program.

is grouped in a class without regarding in what

It is because the schools need to evaluate the

area they are strong (Kamdi, 2004; Sawali,

acceleration class program so that it could run

2002). By doing so, it means that the school

properly based on the real needs of gifted

will face obstacle to see the students’

children.

achievement. Besides, the school might be
difficult

to

differentiate

the

students’

achievement between regular class and
acceleration class because it is not determined
based on students’ need.
Furthermore, the system of acceleration
class is divided in three paradigms to see the
difference between gifted student and non
gifted students into regular and acceleration
classes. It is used because they have different
needs in learning. So, the paradigms are the
following:
1. Psychology Paradigm implies that gifted
and not gifted students have different
needs, talents, and academic capacity, so if
it is not managed properly, it will lead into
psychological problems.
2. Curriculum

paradigm

implies

that

Indonesian schools may choose to modify
existing national or local curriculum, or
develop new curriculum that best fit the
needs of gifted students.
3. Economic paradigm, Indonesian schools
need to evaluate the acceleration class
program because it costs extremely
expensive.

Volume 1, No. 1, Januari 2017

THE ANALYSIS

OF ACCELERATED

CLASSROOM IN INDONESIA

The Law on National System Number
20, 2003 mandates the acceleration class
program to enhance the quality of education in
basic and secondary education in Indonesia.
So from the explanation above the writer tries
analyzing whether there are differences in
achievement between acceleration students
and regular students in the classroom. When
the writer see from definition that the
acceleration class is a program that is designed
to force students to finish school faster than
regular students, the writer concludes that the
acceleration

students

have

difference

achievement with normal students in which
the points are the following:
1. The acceleration classes provide the
students to have high ability, high
motivation, and high intelligence (IQ) so
that they can reach higher achievement
than normal students.
2. The acceleration students have high
expectation in learning so that they have
challenge to reach higher achievement
than regular students.

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3. When the teacher teaches the acceleration

because this program gives strong motivation

class, the students understand better than

for gifted students to keep their learning and

normal students so that the teacher does

prepares the students to speed up in

not need to repeat the materials and they

completing their learning.

can finish material earlier than normal.
4. The acceleration class program prepares

On the other hand, the program of the
acceleration

classes

have

problem

in

management time (strict discipline) for the

Indonesia. It is because some researchers

students so that the students can manage

mentioned that there are no differences

their time in learning and socializing

students’ achievement between the accelerated

compared to non-acceleration students.

students

and

non-accelerated

students

5. The acceleration classes programs serve an

(Puspitosari (2008) found that IQ score

effective learning for the students that

between acceleration students and regular

enable or encourages them to gain higher

students is not significant in Muhammadiyah

grade/mark

achievement)

1 senior secondary school Yogyakarta). Then,

compared to regular classes so that the

when it is seen from curriculum, acceleration

accelerated students are able to enter or

class and regular class does not have a lot of

apply admission easier to high educational

different methods. So, some people consider

level than non-accelerated students.

that acceleration program is not effective in

(higher

enhancing students’ achievement and also in
Moreover, the prospect and problem in

developing the quality of education in primary

enhancing the students’ achievement through

and secondary schools in Indonesia.

accelerated classroom program in Indonesia is
both issues that always become controversy in
which one side pro and another side is cont
with the acceleration program in the schools.
Firstly, when the writer see from the
system and history of accelerated classroom in
Indonesia, the writer find out that the prospect
to enhance the students’ achievement through
acceleration program is very effective in
which the process of acceleration program can
improve the quality of education in primary
and secondary school in Indonesia. It is
Volume 1, No. 1, Januari 2017

CONCLUSION

Curriculum is a planned system that
applied by school to manage and control every
programs

in

the

school.

Acceleration

classroom program in the school is the
planned management to speed up the students
in learning. It gives many benefits for students
especially the gifted students in enhancing
their achievement. Then, it provides a better
chance for the gifted students to speed their
learning so that they do not need much time to

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finish their study in the school. So, based on

Cost-Effectiveness-Analysis

discussion, it is proven that there are

Improving School Quality in Indonesia.

differences

Retrieved

in

achievement

between

provide the accelerated classroom in the
schools to enhance students’ achievement so
that it can improve the quality of education in

10,

2012,

http://econpapers.repec.org/paper/unpwp

acceleration students and regular students in
the classroom. Therefore, Indonesia should

November

of

aper/
De

Lacy.,

Margaret.

ACCELERATION
A

STUDENTS:

(1996,

March).

FOR

GIFTED

background

paper

created for the Portland Public School

primary and secondary schools even though

District Talented and Gifted Advisory

there are some problems that faced in the

Committee. Retrieved November 10,

system of acceleration classroom in Indonesia.

2012, www.tagpdx.org/accelera.htm

(1992). Educational

VanTassel-Baska., J.

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