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Evaluation of the Implementation of a New Educational Paradigm Post-Reformation in Primary Schools in Salatiga.
By
Wasitohadi
Satya Wacana Christian University Salatiga
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to find the effect of new education paradigm on primary schools system and praxis in Salatiga, focused on the implementation of new education paradigm and its rationale. The research was limited on the aspects of learning process. The type of the research was policy evaluation research. The research approach was qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative data were collected from key informants and various related documents through documents study, observation, interview, and questionnaire. The collected data were then analyzed qualitatively as inductive data. Whereas quantitative data were used as supplement and complement to support or clarify qualitative data. The research found that new education paradigm impacted on the system and praxis in elementary education. Implementation of education system related to the aspect had changed according to the new education paradigm. However, because the stakeholder’s mindset had not changed, education praxis was not fully appropriate for what was expected in the policy.
2 Introduction
One of the post-reformation educational policies is to make reforms and stabilizations in the national educational system based on principles of decentralization and autonomy in scientific matters and management (GBHN, 1999). The policy indicates that making reforms and stabilizations in the national educational system is possible. In the course of reforming and stabilizing the national educational system, seeking a new educational paradigm is an urgent effort to be made for the implementation of educational policies and practices in Indonesia (Sudarsono, 1999: 1).
The idea of the necessity for a new educational paradigm has a number of factors as its background. Besides the accumulation of impacts from past educational policies, it has also been caused by global challenges and needs as well as the strengthening demands of the reformation movement in Indonesia (Tilaar, 2004: 2). The reformation movement in Indonesia demands the application of the principles of democracy, decentralization, and justice and the upholding of basic human rights in living within a nation and a country (Undang-Undang No. 20, 2003). The movement has caused an awareness of the regional right for autonomy to grow, which in turn has caused to grow the thought about the need to apply the educational decentralization system. The application of such a system has of course had certain basic consequences in conducting education. One of the consequences has been a change in the educational management from a centrally-based one into a regionally-based one.
In other words, the educational management should then be adjusted to the soul and spirit of autonomy. In an era of autonomy, the regions are given an increasingly greater responsibility in regulating and implementing their authority in the educational field on their own initiative. Meanwhile, there are demands that educational management be based on principles of democracy, the public’s participation, equalization, justice, and attention to regional potential and variety. Therefore, the adjustment also demands the occurrence of a change or shift in the educational paradigm from the old one to a new one. Concerning the paradigm change or shift, in the law called Undang-Undang No. 20 Tahun 2003 about the National Educational System, it is mentioned as follows.
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(3) Education is conducted as a lifelong process of learners’ acculturation and empowerment. (4) Education is conducted by giving models for learners to emulate, building up learners’ will,
and developing learners’ creativity in the learning process.
(5) Education is conducted by developing the culture of reading, writing, and arithmetic for all society members.
(6) Education is conducted by empowering all society components through participation in conducting educational service and its quality control.
From the principles above, it is seen that a change of educational paradigm has occurred in the national educational system. It is seen in the principles applied now in conducting education; they are far more democratic and oriented to educational theory and praxis which increasingly give more importance to the democracy and global-universal values. Further, the explanation in the UU emphasizes that in relation with education, the principles above would give basic impacts on the content, process, and management of the educational system. In line with the change of educational paradigm, the content, process, and management of the educational system also undergo a change or a reform.
Ideally, the application of the new educational paradigm would color and give positive impact on the system and praxis of conducting education. The educational management system beginning with the process of making decisions and going through that of designing programs to the praxis of conducting education, both at the central, regional, and educational unit levels, must be an application of the new educational paradigm. Thus, the application of the new educational paradigm is assumed to be able to have positive impacts on regional educational progress.
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(Surakhmad, 2009: 467), while the process of reasoning, innovativeness, imagination, and moral development has not occurred (Sudarsono, 1999: 1).
Apart from the occurrence of these pros and cons, realities have indicated that the implementation of educational policies in Indonesia all this time have given varying impacts. The implementation of the policy of equalizing (or evenly distributing) and expanding access to education, for example, has impacted on the improvement in the attainment of the educational participation index very convincingly at all levels, but it has not been measured with the quality of basic competence mastery as indicator (Depdiknas, 2007). Meanwhile, as for the implementation of the policy of improving educational quality, the results and impacts have remained causes of concern still, as reflected in the results of studies by various institutions in both the macro and micro ways (Kompas, December 10th, 2007). How could it have happened? There are numerous causes. One of them is that there are still many occurrences of slowness and ambiguity in the changing of way of thinking from that of the centralistic pattern into that of the decentralistic pattern. It is assumed that the new educational paradigm as the paradigm of thinking about management with a decentralistic pattern has not yet colored the system and praxis of education at the local and educational unit levels.
On the basis of what is mentioned above, it has been considered necessary to conduct research on the impact of the new educational paradigm on the system and praxis of education at the local level. The researcher has limited it to the running of education at primary schools, focusing on the implementation of the new educational paradigm and its rationale. In this case, the research has been further focused on the learning process, because the learning process is the core of education, its quality improvement should be a priority concern.
Based on those descriptions, the problem of this research are as follow:
How is the learning process in the primary schools where the research taking place in the context of the enactment of the new paradigm of post-reform education? Has the enactment of a new paradigm in education, changed or improved the learning process? Then, what is the impact for the primary education?
Research Method
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research, the educational policy and the hopes which are manifestations of the new paradigm are what made into the mirror to make reflections.
What is being assessed or materials that are reflected are the implementation process of education policy in Salatiga focusing on the problems under this research, and the results and impact of the implemented educational policies.
In accordance to the focus of the problem researched, the research has used a qualitative-quantitative approach. The qualitative data have been obtained from key informants and various related documents through document study, observations, interviews, and questionnaires.
The experiment was conducted in Salatiga in the school year of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011, focused on Gugus Yos Sudarso as one of the clusters of 15 school clusters in Salatiga. The study focused on three (3) elementary schools in the cluster, ie 1 SD Inti (core) and 2 SD Imbas (impacted) (public and private). These three elementary schools relatively have high academic and non-academic achievements, which represent the education in Salatiga for reflections. This is reflected by the average of UN (National Exam) grade that are high, representing many different competitions, and winning many championships. However, just like most other SD, from the observation, these primary schools have not changed much as a result of the implementation of the new paradigm of education as defined in UU Sisdiknas, which are applied both in public and private schools.
The data gathered have then been analyzed qualitatively by using an inductive approach, while the quantitative data have been used as supplements and complements which are supportive or clarifying in nature. The results of the analysis have then been further reflected upon through interpretive efforts using various relevant theories so that conclusions, implications, and recommendations could be given.
Research Results and Discussion
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In terms of curriculum, the three schools has established the KTSP and made the syllabus in accordance with the school's capacity, but there are variations among these three SD. In both state schools, the syllabus is relatively common/egalitarian and the substance is similar to the content standards, so it seems as the gold standard, not the minimum standard as required in the policy. Meanwhile, in private school, KTSP is highly nuanced in Islam. Islamic religious values are designed underlying each competency presentation. Affirmed, "principals and teachers can develop appropriate indicators in accordance with the school capability and adjusted to the local government policies" (Dokumen silabus, 2007). Thus, what happen in private school is appropriate and is an implementation of chapter 55 of the UU Sisdiknas, which states that "people have the right to establish an education in accordance with the peculiarities of a particular religion ..."; "the character of an education unit that held by the people is still respected and guaranteed" (explanation of chapter 55 UU Sisdiknas). In chapter 33 verse 5 (Perda, 2009) also states that "educational unit carried out by the community is able to add the learning materials according to their own characteristics ".
Regarding the orientation of education, the three schools lead their achievements on Standar Kompetensi Lulusan (the Graduates Competency Standards, which substantially include both improvement of the academic and non-academic quality (Renstra Disdikpora, 2009-2012). According to the teacher’s perceptions, both types of achievements are equally important, though they realize that in reality, schools / teachers tend to emphasize on the academic achievement (Armstrong, 2006). Meanwhile, the RPP which is a translation of the syllabus, in terms of the components, are the same in three schools. However, in terms of its substance, there is a difference as a consequence of differences in the syllabus substance made by schools/teachers. On private schools, are generally intended and associated with the verses of Quran and Hadist, not the same with the two state schools.
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workload of teachers as much as 24 hours per week can be met in the three schools, except for non-PNS (civil servant) teachers in public schools and English teachers in private school. Determination of the textbooks in three schools, without consideration from the school committee, is not as expected as in the policy.
Meanwhile, with regard to the implementation of the learning itself, there are same and various patterns of the educational process in the three elementary schools. In the preliminary activities, most of what they are doing are to physically prepare the learners in various ways. Private school is similar to the two state schools, but one thing makes it different is that in private school, the preliminary activities are Islamic dominant, such as the tadarus (read the Qur'an verses) to calm the students , followed by chanting the "Asmaul Husna" (sing the beautiful name of Allah). Thus, although there are so many similarities between the three schools, but in private school, the Islamic nuances activity is dominant.
On the core activities, particularly in the exploration process, the results of the questionnaire showed that the majority of teachers in the three primary schools (80.3 %) involved the students actively in the learning process. With various percentage and frequency, most of the teachers also conduct various aspects of the exploration activities that are required in the standards process. Patterns of variation of the exploration activities in the three elementary schools, lies not in the range of exploration activities are carried out, but more on the order of exploration activities are carried out, based on the percentage and intensity. In this case, in both public schools are relatively similar, not the same with what happen in private school.
In the elaboration process, the majority of teachers at the three elementary schools always facilitate the students to compete in a fair way (58.2 %), and provide an opportunity to think, analyze, solve problems and act without fear (56.4 %). Most of the teachers often facilitate learners to do assignment on reporting (51.1 %), and habituate the students to read and write through specific assignments.
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learning process sometimes showed the process of the three stages, but it is certainly not as complete as the indicators of exploration, elaboration and confirmation activities required in the process standards.
Why it happened, there are many related factors. In addition, perhaps, " conditioned by instrument ", as there is a necessity to always give an answer, from RPP, interviews with teachers, and the results FGD meetings, it is known that the learning process of all teachers in the three elementary schools is not designed and implemented through the three stages. Interview results also indicate that teachers do not understand the type, understanding, and the connection between three terms in the core activities. Thus, the more reflected in the RPP and the learning process is when the teacher enters the core activities, the teacher straight directly into closing stages of learning. Teachers do not sort out the core activities into three stages of the learning process. In general, they argue that while the standards process has ever been socialized, but not all teachers have followed it. Socialization in these times involve only certain teachers, but not or have not been followed up to the other teachers. As a result, even though the teachers are aware of the standard process, they have not quite grasped it. This is the reason of why then the subsequent praxis elementary education process in the three schools, are not quite in accordance with the standards required in the learning process.
In terms of learning orientation, learning still tends to use old patterns. Behavioristic learning paradigm is still very strong, whereas the students, who are shown to be active, does not reflect the implementation of constructivist learning paradigm, but rather as a response to the stimulus provided by the teachers. The intensity of the student’s actively involved thus depends on the quality and variety of stimulus that the teachers created. Differences between teachers in the learning process are determined more by the ability of teachers to create a variety of stimuli, and not because of applying constructivist paradigm in education. Thus, they tend to be nuanced by the expository learning (teacher explains, students listen). Teachers still employ the teacher-oriented teaching paradigm. An educational paradigm change has not occurred, from the teaching paradigm to a constructivist learning paradigm.
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piety, are consciously designed in the syllabus and RPP (lesson plan), although in the practical, the education of values can also be spontaneous. From the analysis of lesson plans, observations, supplemented by interviews, it appears that the values embedded for students are so diverse. In addition to depending on the subject and basic competencies taught, instilled values also influenced by the type of stimulus in the form of student behavior and classroom levels.
As an educational venture, investment of attitudes and values of life is a process, then it should be provided through formal education which is carefully planned and designed (Suparno, 2002:62). It is needed to plan and design on whatever values that will be introduced, and what methods and activities that can be used to embed these values. Values that will be offered and imparted to students must be carried out in stages and in accordance with the duties and psychological development of children. Lickona (2013:75), emphasizes the importance of the three elements noted in instilling moral values in order to be succeed. They are the element of understanding , feeling , and moral action . The three elements are interrelated. The three elements need to be considered, so that the embedded value does not stay as knowledge only but it is a person's actions. According to Muhadjir (1997), "a person can be called as an educator, besides possessing more knowledge, he or she should be able to implicitly the values on that knowledge and is willing to share the knowledge with its values to others”. While according to Depdiknas (2003) , the learning process should be guided by the principle of " developing a variety of value-laden capabilities ". Humans are value living, said Koesoema (2012 : 49), as well as students , who live, grow, and thrive in a community, so they need to be equipped not only by knowledge, but also the values and attitudes embraced and believed by the society. The objective of value education, according to UNESCO (1994), includes educating from the stage of resuscitation efforts up to the realization of the worth and valued-behaviors.
10 Conclusion
On the basis of the research results and discussion above, the conclusions drawn in the research are as follows.
Education system that regulates the education process has been based on a new paradigm of education and the principles of good governance. With the implementation of the new paradigm of education, the learning process in all three elementary schools has changed. Changes occur in the learning means, but there are variations in the content and style of these learning devices. In both state schools, the learning means are general/egalitarian, whereas in private school, is highly nuanced by the religious affiliation. Religious values are designed to underlying each presentation of the basic competences.
In terms of implementation, the learning process is not in accordance with the standard process. Behavioristic learning paradigm is still very strong, whereas the active act of students is not a reflection of the implementation of constructivist learning paradigm, but rather as a response to the stimulus provided by the teachers. Still learning using teacher-oriented paradigm. An educational paradigm change has not occurred, from the teaching paradigm to a constructivist learning paradigm.
In terms of value-learning, there are a variety of patterns in the way of investing values through the learning process. In both state schools, value education tends to be unplanned or as a spontaneous response to the students’ negative behavior, and is not a conscious and deliberate effort. In contrast, in private elementary school, especially the value of faith and piety, are consciously designed in the syllabus and RPP (lesson plan), although in the practical, the education of values can also be spontaneous. Values inculcated in students are diverse, in addition to depending on the subject and basic competence, also influenced by the type of stimulus in the form of negative student behavior and classroom levels.
Recommendations
Based on the conclusion, some recommendations are given as follows.
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Need to build internal awareness of teachers that the content standard soul is the minimum standard that can be developed by the teachers. Similarly, the standard process is imbued by the constructivist learning paradigm, which is more centered on the learners (student centered). Therefore, the shift in learning orientation towards a constructivist and student-centered learning needs to be pursued and grown on teachers.
Learning process, besides providing knowledge, must also be valued-education, in the sense of instilling certain values, such as provide exemplary, willingness to build and develop the student’s potencies and creativities. In order to be called as the education effort, the education about values should be a conscious and deliberate effort, do not just occur spontaneously in response to negative student behavior.
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