With an exceptions, prior research on the narratives produced by children with a personal narrative or a fictional narrative has used only objective measure of narrative grammar. The using of past tense used to analyze the personal narrative and fictional narrative. The reason why this measure selected was the frequency of using past tense as one of narrative characteristics.
During the observation, the researcher found that the students were not able enough to use past tense. Actually, they knew what they wanted to say but mostly, they did not use past tense to describe the actions, for example: I go to my grandpa’s house (went), I give my mother a flower (gave), I make a card (made), I go to restaurant and eat food with my family (went and ate). Some students are studying in the library (were), etc.
Students’ Perspective: Interview Data Janice
She is ten years old. She is fourth grade student. Her performance was high level. She revealed that she likes the teacher used narrative discourse to improve her ability to communicate to others and to enrich her vocabularies. Even though she felt this activity was useful, sometimes, she thought that she has no idea, she did not know how to say the word or sentences in English. Also, she preferred using a personal narrative to a fictional narrative. For her, a personal narrative was easier than a fictional one.
Ray
He is 10 years old. He is fourth grade student. His performance was low level. He told that he did not like the narrative discourse. He had no idea to tell his experience and to describe the story. He preferred a personal narrative to a fictional narrative.
Harison
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He is 11 years old. He is fifth grade student. His performance was high level. He revealed that this activity was fun and interesting. Besides, he thought that it was useful he could share what he felt and what he thought.
In addition, he might enrich his vocabularies. He preferred a fictional narrative to a personal narrative.
Jessie
She is 11 years old. She is fifith grade student. Her performance was lower than Harison. She felt as same as Harison. It was fun, interesting, and useful. She could improve her knowledge and enrich her vocabularies. She also preferred a fiction narrative to a personal narrative.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Overall, the results of this study were both narrative discourses (a personal narrative and a fictional narrative) and agesaffect the children’s language development. The sample of children in the different ages, their narratives were briefer, and less grammatical. Besides, the children at 11 years old were more able to describe events or stories than 10 years old.
They only need to practice more and more in order they get used to imply past tense in sharing or describing their story. Also, narratives were chosen as the focus of analysis because of their relevance to children’s lives. In addition, children participants as listeners and tellers of narratives everyday.
Furthermore, narratives exemplify the sort of decontextualized language that both predict academic success and provides a foundation for literacy development. (L. Miller, 1990; Paul & Smith, 1993; Snow, 1983).
For the second research question, it pointed out that both ages were interested in using narrative discourse. Children at 10 years old preferred using a personal narrative to a fictional narrative, meanwhile, children at 11 years old preferred using a fictional narrative to a personal narrative.
CONCLUSION
Narrative is one of discourses that can be applied in teaching English to improve children’s language development in different ages. It is also an interesting way to engage children to speak, share or tell the story based on their experience or their imagination.
LIMITATION AND FUTURE STUDY
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The time for study was not enough, only twice. If there is a chance it can be more than twice to see the significant results of study. Besides, for the future research, to get the finding data more accurate, the researcher may use other measures such as, fluency, pronunciation, etc.
POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTION
This study can give both teacher and children contributions in language development. For teacher, it can challenge a teacher to be a creative teacher, involve teacher of developing a set of strategies to help children express and write about narrative skill. Moving on student’s contribution, it can engage students to be able to produce and comprehend narratives in their language development.
REFERENCES
Dee, S., D. (2002). The role of decontextualized narrative discourse in the development of general spoken language. The Humanities and Social Sciences, 63.
Gloria, S., & Michelle, C. (2009). Enhancing the personal narrative skills of elementary school-aged students who use AACv: the effectiveness of personal narrative intervention. Journal of Communication Disorders, 42, 43-57.
Marybeth, S., A. (1994). Children’s narrative productions: A comparison of personal event and fictional stories. Applied Linguistic, 15, 149- 176.
Macllvain, A. (2011). Season. Longman Publisher.
Northon, B., K. Courtesy and Good Habits Reader 3.Bookman and Books LTD, Taipe, Taiwan.
Levey, S. & Polirstok, S. (2011). Language Development: Understanding Language Diversity in the Classroom. London: SAGE Publisher.
Rockwell, A. (2004). Father’s day.Harper Collins Publisher.
Simona, M. (2004). The development of narrative competence in the L1 and L2 of Spanish- English Bilingual children. International Journal of Bilingualism, 8 (4), 449-497.
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Wesley, A. (2000). Who Can Help Cat?.Pearson Education North Asia.
Appendix 1
Questions for interview
1. Do you like if the teacher use narrative discourse to improve your ability to communicate to others ? Why?
2. Do you think narrative discourse is benefit for you?
3. Do you like to use a personal narrative in describing a story or events?why
4. Do you like to use a fiction narrative in describing a story or events? Why
5. Do you prefer using a personal narrative to a fictional narrative?
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ISBN 978-602-08985-3-7 Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Innovative Pedagogy
(ICIP 2017) STKIP Bina Bangsa Getsempena May 18-19, 2017 Banda Aceh, Indonesia
MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD
1Annisa Amalia, 2Lutfatulatifah
1,2 Indonesia University of Education, Bandung, Indonesia [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Diversity is life’s real background nowadays or even in the future. The openness of the world with various access available makes human beings with different backgrounds interact in every aspect of life. It is inevitable for the future generations especially these backgrounds are experienced by childhood as the nation’s successors. The challenges faced by them in future life depend on how the environment supports their development and at once as a place they study and take part as a part of global society. Education background offers the support with settings that bring together child and diversities. Pedagogical approach that is sensitive on multi culture value is an effort that can be used in supporting children develop appropriately to their identities and their environment.
Keywords:multicultural, Childhood, learning, teaching.
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In a time of advanced technology and globalization nowadays cultures cross from all around the world meet. The uniqueness and characteristical in the context of state, nation, and society will cause diversity in social culture. Diversities like this is shown by Indonesia which is nation-state composed of various ethnics, religion, and language (Saenz, Embrick, & Rodriguesz, 2015). These diversities need to be managed seriously and willingly in a form of value order which can be divided together.
The reality happening now is forms of violence on one group to another group causes prejudice to always happen between groups (Staub, 2013).(Baidhawy, 2007)It seems the impact above has become a phenomenon that is also happening in Indonesia, looking at conflict situations between class interest that keep on happening the understanding for multiculturalism is really needed to deal with these problems.
The lack of understanding on diversity, differences, and justice that must be enforced for every circle including childhood.Hawkins (2014). In his studies states that young children has come to know there are diversities between humans and this phenomenon is one of the potential that is used to build multicultural understanding early on.In accordance to that, multi culture education is considered as one of the ways pursued to achieve understanding between classes through school background which often meets diversities (Ozturgut, 2011).
Understanding on multi culture done by education are expected to not finish on the theoretical part only when the education takes place. There for below it will be elaborated about multi culture education until appropriate practices that is in accordance in childhood education reviewed from various literarture.
UNDERSTANDING DIVERSITY
Humans as part of society basically are individuals that have conscience on their personal desires fulfilled which is none other than a manifestation on culture that has raised them (DomNwachukwu, 2010).
Based on that it is understood that humans as a individual encouragement to fulfill their needs, but on the other side culture influences it.
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The form of that relationship leads to how someone’s identity is really shaped so that he and other individuals can be called as part of a specific culture (Brewer, 1991).individual as part of his social group interact and contribute to form interpersonal relationships.Roles of individuals that interact in groups turns out to shape influences on culture between them. In other words behavior of individuals from a group is a reflection of its culture.
Subsequently what does connect the description above with the true diversity? Individual contributes in their groups, create loyal relationship between members so bonding happens as part of their culture. So the cultured feeling owned by one group and another can be purely exclusive when they form interpersonal relationship between groups. There for even one person existence is significant in good relationships between on group and the other (Kramer, Leodardelli, & Livingston, 2011). Individual, minorities or even majorities, whole group are important as part of diversities that influence.
MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION BASE
Diversity obviously has become part of society without exception in the scope of childhood education. Responding to the challenges that there is in diversities, childhood education should be able to adapt its content with the situation among society(Ryan & Grieshaber, 2005).
The understanding on the multicultural realization given to early childhood is based on the effort to give provision so they aren’t isolated with the differences between children from early on as provision to socially interact better (Ryan and Grieshaber, 2005). From that point of view it is understood that multicultural awareness is rightly introduced from early on because with an understanding of diversity it carves a path for children to realize diversity as something normal. Realization of this value is also a form of children understanding to live side by side peacefully with people different from them.
CONNECTION BETWEEN CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURE DIVERSITY
The growth and development childhood thoroughly obviously has definitely become hope from the education done for them. One of that viewpoint is based on the importance to give children the best service with
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its need. That concept need is used in formulating education for early childhood (James &Prout, 2005), that children need love and care which is related to psychological health, social adaptability, and the concept needs is different in every culture.
In accordance to the description above, spencer (2013) explains that the aspects in understanding children using one point of view is not enough.
In understanding child development it can’t be generalized and needs a different approach even to the realm of assessment process (Frongillodkk..
2014). Therefor a sensitive education approach on background culture can be a start so children development no longer get misunderstood by its teacher.
There are two theories in other theories that is hugely influential in understanding children, that is theory from Piaget and Vygotsky (Kalina, 2009; Semmar& Al-thani, 2015). The development steps stated by Piaget that children as an active student develops their own knowledge gives education concept contribution that centers around children od child center, whereas Vygotsky views that the way children develop their knowledge, is through problem finding process on problems and experience that is built together with others through everyday social interaction(Penn, 2005).
Regarding children development concept from Piaget and Vygotsky the child excelling in academic and social presumably is becoming one expectation that is wanted in early childhood education and brings long term influence in their life (Chopra, 2016).Therefor the requirement on child development that facilitates all that including child requirements including background culture is a way so childhood education can give real significant impact on the children’s future.
Education environment that is peaceful and child supportive from different background is really needed so there are no children left out or ignored because the lack of teacher understanding of their cultural identity (Quitero, 2004). This is hugely influential so the education scene that is formed in schools gives contribution on values of justice and peace.
Because the form of racism is an accumulation from the education and social interaction the child does with friends, adults, parents, and authorities responsible in influencing childlife(Stephen & McKown, 2008).
MULTICULTURAL PROGRAM FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD
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In early childhood education background, multicultural concept is poured in pedagoy practice and curriculum that upholds culture values of each children with the purpose so the child has a better chance to feel real diversity in their lives (Krofh and Slentz, 2001). Curriculum that integrates diversity values chooses teaching material, theme, society involvement, up to literature source that include peace and multicultural values(Quintero, 2004; Stephen & McKown, 2008).
Applying multicultural value responsive curriculum to a class is important, without a proper thinking, pedagogy practice, and understanding on the students, teachers cannot create an multicultural education environment that is successful and transformative (Gray, 2016). Therefor the roles of teacher as the educator, communicating with children and parents can help parents in guiding children through their period of development in its early years regarding cultural identity (Ramsey, 2004).
Here are some perspective in multicultural practice teaching that is needed by teachers in the context of early childhood education (Han & Thomas, 2010).