IMPLEMENTING CHARACTER EDUCATION IN ENGLISH SUBJECT THROUGH CRITICAL AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ NATIONALISM
by: Suzanna Clarinda, S.Sos, M.Pd
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Nowadays, we are often being surprised by the various news about
school-age juvenile delinquency that happens in High School Students. Being in
transition period, has made significant changes in biological, cognitive and
social emotional for the teenagers. They have great curiosity. They tend to
have the feeling to try new things without thinking of the next impact and
challenge themselves to the highest level.
Teenagers are in a crucial period. At this time, teenagers
start looking for self-identity to be recognized in their existence. They begin
to try a new lifestyle that is different from childhood that determines the
mindset and behaviour as they please.
According to Zakiah Darajat (1990: 23), "Teenager is a
transitional period between childhood and adulthood. During this period the
child experiences a period of growth, physical and psychological development. They
are not children either body shape or way of thinking or acting, but also not adults
who have matured” [1]
Indonesian’s teenagers should be prepared to become the future
generation. In the future, Indonesians will have even greater challenges than
current days, as the result of the expansion of foreign political, economic,
social and cultural invasions. The consequences of all these will change in
values, such as in ideology, identity, even mental attitudes that often
conflict with national identity.
Therefore, the role of a teacher is essential in implementing
learners’ character values according to the personality and culture of the
Indonesian nation. Focusing in strengthening character education is very
relevant in current conditions. A strong character will make a person grow into
a strong and noble person so that they are ready to compete in a global life.
In teaching the value of the learners’ character in schools
is not only in the hand of the Religion or Citizenship Education teachers, but
also should be applied by all the teachers. The success in the learning process
is not only measured by the achievements of the knowledge and skills, but also
the formation of a noble character and moral behaviour in everyday life,
therefore all units in the school should present the same values.
Based on the problems that have been explained, on this
occasion I’m presenting a paper entitled, "Implementing Character
Education in English Subject through Critical and Collaborative Learning to
Improve Student’s Nationalism”
CHAPTER
II
LITERATURE
REVIEW
1.
Character
The
English word ”character” is derived from the Greek, “Charakter”, which was
originally used of a mark impressed upon a coin. Later and more generally,
character came to mean a distinctive mark by which one thing was distinguished
from other, and then primarily to mean the assemblage of qualities that
distinguish one individual from another. In modern usage, this emphasis on
distinctiveness or individuality tends to merge “character” with “personality”.
[2]
Character
definition was given by John Deweys, “character
is composed of all the desires, purposes, and habits that influence conduct.
The mind of an individual, ideas, and
beliefs are part of character” [3]
2.
Education
Education
is a fundamental human right. Education should be means to empower children and
adults alike to become active participants in the transformation of their
societies.[4]
According to the article
1 of Law on National Education System No. 20/2003:
“Education means conscious and well-planned
effort in creating in learning environment and learning process so that
learners will be able to develop their full potential for acquiring spiritual
and religious strengths, develop self-control, personality, intelligence,
morals and noble character and skills that one needs for him/herself, for the
community, for the nation, and for the State.”[5]
3.
Character
Education
The
need for character education is just as real today. Character education will
help students today and ready them for participation in a society that expects
them to be autonomous but at the same time, to be committed to make a better
society that they have inherited.
Lickona
(Rochmat Wahab, 2011), said:
“Character education as a program that strives
to encompass the following; the cognitive, affective, and behavioural aspects
of morality. Good character consists of knowing the good, desiring the good,
and doing the good. School must have children understand the core values, adapt
or commit to them and then act upon in their own lives.”
In
Indonesia, Character Education has been regulated in Presidential Regulation No.
87/201 known as Character Education Strengthening Movement. The main values of
Character Education Strengthening Movement are religious, nationalist,
independent, mutual cooperation, integrity. These values are to be implemented
and practiced through the national education system. So that the students are
known, understood, and applied in their school and society life. Character
Education Strengthening Movement was born because of awareness of the
increasingly complex challenges ahead, as well as seeing a lot of hope for the
future of the nation. It requires educational institutions to prepare knowledge
and personality of students to become individuals who are strong in spiritual,
moral values, and knowledge.
The definition
of Character Education Strengthening Movement according to Article 1 Presidential
Regulation No. 87/2017:
“Character Education Strengthening Movement
is an education movement under the responsibility of an education unit to
strengthen students’ characters through harmonization of the process of spiritual
and emotional development, intellectual development, affective and creativity
development, and physical and kinesthetic development with involvement and
cooperation between education units, family and community as part of the
National Revolution Movement.”
4.
Nationalism
Hans
Kohn has argued that “Nationalism is a
state of mind, in which the supreme loyalty of individual is felt to be due to
the nation-state” (Kohn, 1965).
Nationalism
in Character Education Strengthening Movement according to 2013 Curriculum is a
way of thinking, behaving, and acting that shows high loyalty, care, and
respect for the language, physical environment, social, cultural, economic and
political nation, prioritized the interest of the nation and state above group
interest.
Nationalism
attitudes are demonstrated through an attitude of appreciation for the nation's
own culture, conserving the wealth of the nation's culture, willing to
sacrifice, excellent, and love the motherland, protect the environment, obey
the law, discipline, respect the diversity of culture, ethnicity and religion.[6]
5.
Critical
Learning
British Council definition of Critical Thinking stated:
“Self-directed
learning that produces new and innovative ideas and solves problems.”[7]
Critical learning incidents are
learning situations which learners have experienced as effective, exceptional,
or personally meaningful. It may lead to educationally significant learning and
personal growth.
6.
Collaborative
learning
Marjan Laal and Mozhgan
Laal argued, that “Collaborative learning
is an educational approach to teaching and learning that involves groups of
learners working together to solve a problem.”[8]
The term Collaborative
Learning refers to an instruction method in which learners at various
performance levels work together in small groups toward a common goal. Five
fundamental elements involved are: positive interdependence, Individual and
group accountability, Interpersonal and small group skills, Face-to-face
promotion interaction, and Group processing.
CHAPTER III
DISCUSSION
In
accordance to Article 5 of Presidential Regulation No. 87/2017 concerning
Strengthening Character Education Movement, the main principle of Character
Education Strengthening Movement are as follows:
a. oriented
to the development of potential students in a comprehensive and integrated
manner;
b. exemplary
implementation of character education in each educational environment;
c. takes
place through habituation and all the time in everyday life.[9]
Strengthening
student character is applied through learning material and methods in according
to the curriculum content. This paper is explaining about how to implement
character education in English subjects through critical and collaborative
learning to improve students' nationalism.
The 2013
National curriculum adapts the student-centered approach. It means that the
teaching and learning activities should be focused on the students. The
students should develop all of their skills and knowledges to achieve the
learning objectives. Character education in English learning can be done in
various ways, including through critical learning and collaborative learning. Whereas
to improve students’ nationalism can be done by providing material related to
Indonesian cultural values and nationality.
Every
nation has its own character as the basis of the national identity. It can
distinguish Indonesia with other nations. According to Arwiyah dan Runik
Machproh (2014: 98):
"The
character of Indonesian national identity has the following characteristics:
1. Believing to God Almighty;
2. Loving fellow human beings, family,
community, nation and homeland.
3. Respecting fellow citizens regardless of
social and cultural background;
4. Living Together in a pluralistic society
consisting of cultural, ethnic, religious, customs, religious tolerance."[10]
The
following are examples of learning stages that embed character education through
Critical and Collaborative Learning with text material describing historical
objects in Indonesia.
1. Pre-
Activity
In this session, students respond to teacher’s
greeting and questions regarding class condition. One of the students leads a
prayer before starting the learning process. After that, students respond to
teacher's questions about the previous material, and observe the information
about competencies to be achieved, outline material, and activities to be
carried out. Character values in pre-activity are religious (students pray
together).
2. Core-Activity
This session is divided
into five steps, there are:
Stimulating:
Students are asked to form a group of 4 –
6 people, then the teacher give a picture of Indonesian map. Students respond to the picture by mentioning
historical places and their location. After that, students are asked to read a
descriptive text given by the teacher about one of historical place in
Indonesia.
Problem Statement:
In this Session, students ask for information about social
functions, generic structures, and language features based on the text given
based on the text given.
Data Collection:
Each group discussed to identify and
describe social functions, generic structures, and language features based on
the text given.
Verification:
Students determine and organize social
functions, generic structures and language features based on the text given.
Generalisation:
Students analyse and conclude social
functions, text structures, and language features based on the text given.
After being discussed, each group sticks their answers on the white board and presents
social functions, generic structures, and language features based on the text
given.
Character values in core-activity are nationalist (students
mention historical places and discuss a descriptive text about historical
places), mutual cooperative (students do the assignment in a group).
3. Post-Activity
In this session, students provide learning
feedback about the material and learning process. And finally, each student work
on assignment individually to analyse questions based on the text given.
The character values in post-activity are nationalist
(students analyse a descriptive text about historical places), independent (each
student do the assignment individually), and integrity (each student do the
assignment individually without cheating each other).
CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION
1. Conclusion
The success in the learning process is not
only measured by the achievements of the knowledge and skills, but also the
formation of a noble character and moral behaviour in everyday life.
The role of a teacher is essential in implementing
learners’ character values according to the personality and culture of the
Indonesian nation. Focusing in strengthening character education is very
relevant in current conditions. Character education in English learning can be
done in various ways, including through critical learning and collaborative
learning. Whereas to improve students’ nationalism can be done by providing
material related to Indonesian cultural values and nationality.
2. Suggestion
Character education in school
is not effective. It also needs support from family especially parents, and
society implement characters that can improve students' nationalism.
[3] Holly Shepard Salls, “Character
Education” (University Press of America: Lanham, 2005) pg. 53.
[10] Arwiyah, Yahya dan Runik
Machproh, “Civic Education di Perguruan
Tinggi Indonesia” (Alfabeta: Bandung)
pg. 98
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