Graduate Student Spotlight: Sadrack Pagiling
Sadrack Luden Pagiling was born in Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, a small
town with richly unique cultures and breathtaking landscapes that are interesting
for numerous international tourists. He spent his childhood and education in this
town, from elementary school to the undergraduate level. Sadrack was born into a family
of teachers who genuinely prioritize education and encouraged him to be an educator
in mathematics. He graduated from Universitas Kristen Indonesia Toraja with a bachelor's
degree in Mathematics Education in 2015 and a master's degree in Mathematics Education
from Universitas Negeri Surabaya in 2017.
He has lived in several cities in Indonesia, such as Makassar, Jogjakarta, Semarang,
Surabaya, Alor, and Merauke. In leisure, Sadrack has been buried in books and playing
chess since it can harness critical thinking. Also, he loves listening to music,
especially progressive rock, that can ignite a joyous spirit. To maintain spiritual
growth, he usually listens to Christian sermons and Hillsong on YouTube. He had traveled
to Bali, Batam, and Lombok to attend conferences and vacations. During his fabulous
adventures, he learned that every city has unique traditions that can broaden his
perspective and horizon to be respectful and open-minded to the world. The photo at
right is taken in Malang, East Java, Indonesia.
The photo below is taken in Ke'te' Kesu, North Toraja, Indonesia and depicts the traditional house of the Toraja people.
Regarding community service, Sadrack has been involved in several projects that have assisted and tackled societal issues. He was involved as a facilitator in “Sekolah Penggerak” (Mobilize School) from 2022 to 2024. His role in this program was to facilitate teachers, headmasters, and the learning community to implement a “Kurikulum Merdeka” (Independent Curriculum) in promoting student-centered and asset-based learning. Another impactful community service is the “Kosabangsa Project.” He has co-learned and corroborated with his colleagues and accomplished this task effectively. Through this project, he and his team aided two schools in Merauke Regency by providing learning media, conducting literacy training, conducting systemic training about classroom action research and writing articles, and educating the students on recycling garbage in their schools.
Before joining PRIME at MSU as a PhD student, Sadrack was a lecturer at the Mathematics Education Department, Universitas Musamus in Merauke, South Papua Province, Indonesia, for 5 years. He is interested in mathematics education research pertaining to secondary teachers’ mathematics knowledge and teachers' beliefs about the nature of mathematics and mathematics teaching and learning. He wants to develop and design differentiated mathematics instruction based on technology, including digital tools, to accommodate individual differences in mathematics learning. He has researched and published some scholarly works, including students’ visuospatial reasoning, lower-secondary students’ mathematical representations, teachers’ conceptions about mathematical representation, Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK), and pre-service mathematics teachers’ beliefs.
The photo below is taken in the Sorong Airport, the capital of the Indonesian province of Southwest Papua:
After graduating with his doctoral degree in mathematics education at Michigan State University, he firmly commits to continuing his role as a lecturer and researcher and positively contributing to advancing mathematics education in Indonesia, especially in Merauke Regency, South Papua Province. He has a call to strengthen the numeracy of South Papuan learners in promoting equity in Mathematics Education.
He arrived at East Lansing with his wife Esty Paonganan to support and co-strive in his academic and life journey. Sadrack noted he would not be where he is today without her love and support. Moving abroad as a newly married couple is never easy but this is a part of the beauty of becoming a stronger, better version of ourselves.
The photo below of Sadrack and Esty was also taken in Ke'te' Kesu, a quaint, traditional village situated in the region of North Toraja, South Sulawesi in Indonesia.
Added by PRIME: Welcome to MSU, Sadrack! We are so glad that you are here!
