Aligning or Vanishing: A Case Study of History as a Subject at SMKN 9 Surakarta

This study aims to examine the implementation of history learning in secondary vocational schools under Kurikulum Merdeka, Indonesia’s national curriculum. A qualitative case study approach was employed to investigate the extent to which history as a school subject is aligned with vocational competencies at SMKN 9 Surakarta. The findings indicate that history teachers have made efforts to align history instruction with vocational competencies. This alignment is reflected in lesson planning, the selection of appropriate learning models and instructional activities, and project-based assessment practices. The study highlights the integration of vocational competencies into history learning through a systematic process encompassing tplanning, implementation, and evaluation, in which teachers’ creativity and initiative play a central role. The findings suggest that history learning and vocational competencies can be integrated through various instructional approaches. The study recommends enriching historical content that is relevant to students’ vocational fields and emphasizing the practical application of history as a third-order concept in history learning. These aspects should be explicitly incorporated into the history curriculum for secondary vocational schools.