Abstract

While recent studies on the use of coursebooks in Indonesian tertiary and primary education have found that teachers have different levels of freedom in the choice of their coursebooks, little is known about the use of coursebooks at the secondary level. The present study investigated the beliefs of secondary school teachers about their level of choice and criteria when choosing their coursebooks. A total of twenty-seven participants from different parts of Indonesia—twenty-four teachers and three principals—were surveyed for their perceptions on the choice of coursebooks. Each participant was given a questionnaire consisting of twenty questions. The data was then interpreted based on the participants’ responses. The results showed that teachers at the secondary level are free to choose their own coursebooks and apply some of their own criteria (such as appropriate and attractive content, clear instructions, and based on the most recent curriculum) in choosing their own coursebooks.