Speech-act analysis of teacher welfare in Indonesian presidential speeches

Indonesian presidential speeches shape public expectations about teacher welfare, yet few studies examine how specific speech acts (promises, praise, apologies) rhetorically sustain or obscure policy shortfalls. This study compares speech‑act strategies across three administrations to reveal how presidential rhetoric reproduces or challenges welfare inequalities. Combining speech‑act theory with discourse analysis, the current study conducts a thematic qualitative analysis of presidential speech transcripts from Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), Joko Widodo (JW), and Prabowo Subianto (PS), coding for speech‑act types (assertives, directives, commissives, expressives, declaratives) and discursive strategies (modalization, repetition, applause markers). Cross‑case comparison identifies recurring patterns and their political‑functional effects. Findings show SBY foregrounded commissives about certification and skills, JW emphasized emergency measures such as contract‑status conversions and school operational assistance, and PS paired anti‑corruption framing with pay‑increase rhetoric; only two presidents (SBY & JW) relied heavily on expressives (praise, gratitude, national‑hero labels) to raise morale amid stalled promotions and workload–pay imbalances. These speech acts shape public perceptions of government responsiveness, reduce immediate dissent, and reshape accountability expectations while obscuring gaps between rhetorical commitments and policy implementation. The present study recommends mixed-method follow-ups (interviews, policy audits) to assess the effects of speech on material welfare and to inform more equitable teacher‑welfare policy in Indonesia.