Reformasi in Indonesia (1998)

Active learning is crucial for understanding the complex Indonesian Reformasi movement. By engaging students in simulations and collaborative tasks, they can move beyond memorizing dates and instead grapple with the multifaceted causes and consequences of this pivotal historical period.

• JC 1
• History
• 3 activities
• 45 min–60 min

Simulation Game

⏱ 60 min·Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Fall of Suharto

Divide students into groups representing key stakeholders: student activists, military leaders, government officials, and international observers. Each group prepares arguments and negotiates demands leading up to Suharto's resignation.

Prepare & details

Analyze the causes and triggers of the 1998 Reformasi movement in Indonesia.

Facilitation Tip: During the Simulation: The Fall of Suharto, circulate to ensure each stakeholder group is articulating its core interests and interacting realistically with others.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Timeline Construction: Road to Reformasi

Students collaboratively build a detailed timeline of key events, protests, and policy changes from the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 to Suharto's resignation in May 1998. They can use digital tools or large chart paper.

Prepare & details

Explain the role of students, civil society, and the military in Suharto's resignation.

Facilitation Tip: During the Timeline Construction: Road to Reformasi, encourage groups to justify the placement and significance of each event they add, fostering deeper historical thinking.

Setup: Groups at tables with case materials

Materials: Case study packet (3-5 pages), Analysis framework worksheet, Presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Formal Debate

⏱ 50 min·Whole Class

Formal Debate: Assessing Reformasi's Success

Organize a formal debate on the motion 'The Reformasi movement achieved its primary goals.' Students research and present arguments on the successes and failures of Indonesia's democratic transition.

Prepare & details

Assess the challenges and successes of Indonesia's transition to democracy post-Reformasi.

Facilitation Tip: During the Debate: Assessing Reformasi's Success, ensure students are using evidence from the preceding activities to support their arguments, not just general knowledge.

Setup: Two teams facing each other, audience seating for the rest

Materials: Debate proposition card, Research brief for each side, Judging rubric for audience, Timer

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Teaching This Topic

Teaching Reformasi effectively requires moving beyond a simple narrative of liberation. Frame the period as a complex transition, highlighting the agency of diverse groups and the ongoing nature of democratic consolidation. Avoid presenting the outcome as a predetermined success; instead, emphasize the challenges and contested aspects of the era.

What to Expect

Successful learning means students can articulate the various forces that led to Suharto's downfall and analyze the subsequent challenges of democratic transition. They should be able to connect specific events and actions to broader socio-political and economic trends.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Simulation: The Fall of Suharto, students might overemphasize the role of student activists.

What to Teach Instead

Prompt students to consider how economic factors and internal military dynamics, represented by other stakeholder groups, influenced the outcome, pushing for a more integrated understanding of causality.

Common Misconception

During the Timeline Construction: Road to Reformasi, students may assume democratic institutions were immediately stable after 1998.

What to Teach Instead

Guide students to identify and discuss events on the timeline that illustrate the ongoing challenges and complexities of establishing democratic governance, such as regional conflicts or political instability.

Assessment Ideas

debate

After the Debate: Assessing Reformasi's Success, assess students' ability to construct evidence-based arguments and respond to counterarguments, reflecting their understanding of the movement's achievements and shortcomings.

Quick Check

During the Timeline Construction: Road to Reformasi, observe student contributions and discussions to gauge their grasp of key events and their chronological relationships.

Discussion Prompt

Following the Simulation: The Fall of Suharto, use student reflections on their stakeholder roles to prompt discussion about the diverse motivations and pressures contributing to Suharto's resignation.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Students can research and present on a specific reform implemented during the early Reformasi period and its long-term impact.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence starters or graphic organizers for students struggling to articulate their group's position during the simulation.
• Deeper Exploration: Students can analyze primary source documents from the Reformasi era, such as news articles or personal accounts, to enrich their understanding.