English Teaching Journal

DESCRIPTIVE STUDY ON ENGLISH TEACHING LEARNING PROCESS AT RSBI SCHOOL

Aqlisty Nia Chandra

anc.nia@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

The objectives of the study are to describe the use of English in teaching-learning activities at Designated International Standard School (RSBI), and to describe the strengths and the weaknesses using English in teaching-learning activities in this school. The research used descriptive qualitative method. The research was conducted in the first grade of RSBI School, SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Pati. The sources of the data covered events, informants, and written documents. The data were collected through observation, interview, and document analysis. In analyzing the data, the researcher used interactive model analysis including reducing the data, presenting the data, and drawing conclusion.

 The result of the research are the use of English in this school is not optimal, the teachers focused more on the concept rather than on the language used. The second, the communication was conducted both by using English and Indonesian language. The syllabus used in this school was same as the regular class because it is written in Indonesia. The third, the techniques of teachers used were interesting and could motivate students to improve learning. But, there were some weaknesses such as the teachers didn’t use English optimally and the teachers didn’t pay attention to the language used. Based on the result of above, the researcher suggest that the teachers should increase the use of English in teaching-learning activities, while the students should be more active in order to develop their language and to enhance understanding dealing with the materials.

Key words: teaching English, RSBI, communication

INTRODUCTION

Education has an important role to develop the country. Education has given significant contribution in developing the country from one period to another period, either before or after the independence of Indonesia. To make it better, government has many innovations to improve the quality and create qualified students in order to continue to higher and better education. One of the innovations made by the government is to provide schools which refer to international standard. It is called Designated International Standard School (RSBI). It is the implementation of national education regulation system year 2003, arising as the command for each region to have the International Standard School which refers to national and international curriculum. There are some new inputs in the Designated International Standard School which makes it different from other national schools; that is, the use of English as the instructional language, air conditioner-classroom, multimedia facilities, and limited students. The reason of developing the Internationally Standard School is to increase the education level both primary and secondary education in order to be equal with other developed countries.

The Designated International Standard School uses English as the instructional in teaching learning activities. Since Indonesian language is the mother tongue, and English is the foreign language, the school will face a difficulty to use English as the instructional language in teaching and learning activities. Teaching means guiding and facilitating learning, enabling the learner to learn, and setting the conditions for learning (Brown, 1994: 7), it means in teaching there is communication between teacher and students. Good communication means that the materials can be transferred well; no misunderstanding between the teacher and student; no misunderstanding dealing with the materials; and also enabling learners to learn.

Statement of the Problems

Based on the background of the study above the problems are formulated, as follows:

1.      How is the use of English in teaching-learning activities at the Designated International Standard School?

2.      What are the strengths and the weaknesses in using English as instructional language in teaching-learning activities at the Designated International Standard School?

Objectives of the Observation

The objectives that will be obtained in this research are:

1.      To describe the use of English in teaching-learning activities at the Designated International Standard School.

2.      To describe the strengths and the weaknesses of the use of English in teaching-learning activities at the Designated International Standard School.

Significance of the Observation

The research result is expected to be able to give some benefits, such as the following:

1.      The study will give a clear description about the use of English in teaching learning activity at the Designated International Standard School.

2.      The study will give contribution for the improvement in using English as instructional language in teaching learning activities.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Education of RSBI

RSBI (Rintisan Sekolah Bertaraf Internasional) is defined as a school that prepares and educates the learners based on the combination of National Education Standard of Indonesia (SNP) and other International Education Standard. As a school that has international concept, it has some different characteristics from the local school. The output of RSBI by National Education Department (Depdiknas, 2008) are students have ability to communicate information and ideas in English and Indonesia and also students understandof others foreign cultures. The teacher of RSBI/SBI are designed to be a figure who understands well the meaning of learning concepts such as deep-learning, higher order thinking skills, and contextual learning and knows well different characteristics of his/her students (Fahriza,  2009). The students are eventually led to develop independent learning, responsibility, cooperation with other students, honesty, and tolerance. With these they can be better human resources who can compete globally.

Teacher Role

According to Barner, as quoted by Tony Wright (p. 63), there are four teacher-hidden roles supporting those roles:

1.      The teacher is an evaluator of learners’ efforts and contributions. The teacher judges whether learners’ contribution to the teaching/ learning process are valid, relevant, correct.

2.      The teacher is a guide to the subject’ under consideration and the way in which it is learnt in the classroom. He is also the curator of the ‘rules’ for acquiring knowledge.

3.      Closely linked to the ‘guide’ role is the role of resource. The teacher is resource of knowledge about the subject and also how to acquired it

4.      The teacher is also, as implied by (2) and (3), an organizer. The teacher organizes classroom activities, sets up learning tasks and assists the learners in doing these activities.

In the classroom, the teacher plays a very important role because it is the teacher who conducts teaching-learning process. As stated by Tony Wright, there are two major role of the teacher in the classroom. The first is called as management function that is to create the conditions under which learning can take place and the second is as the instructional function that is to impart, by variety of means, knowledge to their learners (p. 51-52).

Learner Role

Created from material contained in Richard and Rogers (1986), Nunan and Lamb (1996: 141) illustrate the range of roles required of learners in a number of methods:

Approach

Roles

1.       Oral/Situational 2.      Audio Lingual 3.      Communicative 4.      Total Physical Response 5.      The Silent Way 6.      Communicative Language Teaching methodology

1.      Learners listen to the teacher and repeat; no control over content and methods 2.      Learners have little control; react to teacher direction; passive, reactive role 3.      Learners have an active, negotiative role; should contribute as well as receive 4.      Learners are listener and performer; little influence over content and none over 5.      Learners learn through systematic analysis; must become independent and autonomous 6.      Learners are members of social group or community; move from dependence toautonomy as learning progresses

Classroom Interaction

There are three major aspects of the lesson as proposed by Allwright and M.

Bailey (1996: 25):

1.      Syllabus

Syllabus is called as what the teacher intends to teach. The teacher thus may rely on the syllabus drawn up by the people in authority, and perhaps simply embodied in the textbook. Or they can make their own decision about what to be thought.

2.      Method

It is a predetermined plan for how the syllabus is to be taught, and it is seen as an obvious part of their job to do so.

3.      Atmosphere

It is the condition of the classroom that the teacher wants to be created that is whether they want it to be relaxed and friendly, or brisk and business-like, or whatever.

Method of Observation

In this article, the writer used the descriptive qualitative method. Descriptive research involves describing and interpreting events, condition, or situation of the present. In this research, the researcher was a research instrument because in collecting the data, the researcher had to interact with the respondents directly and find the meaning of the interaction result. The writer involving herself directly in the teaching and learning process of the first grade students of Designated International Standard School in SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Pati in the 2011/2012 academic year. According to Lofland as quoted by Moleong (2004: 112) sources of data in qualitative research are words and events, for the additional data can be documents or others. The research data in this study were collected in the form of information. The teaching-learning activities were viewed by the use of the English language as the instructional language used by the teachers in teaching and by the students. It is also viewed by the communication between the teachers and the students and among the students themselves in teaching-learning process.  The sources of the data in this research included events, informants, and documents. The techniques of collecting the data applied in this research are interview, observation and document analysis. The data in this research were analyzed by using descriptive qualitative method. The researcher used an interview model of analysis involving collecting the data, reducing the data, and presenting the data and also drawing conclusion (Sutopo, 2002: 95).

RESULT OF THE OBSERVATION

The Use of English in Teaching-Learning Activities

a.      The objectives of the use of English in teaching-learning activities

The objective of the use of English in teaching and learning activities is to prepare the students to continue their studies abroad. The students are expected to be able to comprehend the topic from the subject matter being taught by using English while also improving their English skills. Dealing with the objective in the teaching and learning process, the teacher presented the topic from subject matter being taught by using English as the instructional language. It can be seen from the observation in classroom activities. In teaching-learning activities, the teacher tried to use English as the instructional language in conducting the teaching and learning process. Although they didn’t use it 100%, but they tried to used it maximally. It is  because of the limited mastery of English but also they concerned more on the concept being taught to the students.

b.      The Syllabus and Lesson Plan

The syllabus and lesson plan contain the basic competence, indicator, main materials, learning activities and completed by the worksheets and scoring system. The syllabus is the same as the regular class because the curriculum used is also the same.  The differences are the used of English and the used of ICT in teaching learning process. The syllabus is implemented to the lesson plan. And based on the lesson plan, the teachers conducted the teaching-learning activities. From the analysis of the documents done by the researcher, the syllabus were written in Indonesia, while  the lesson plan of English were written in English. It is violation of rule by teacher because he does not made the syllabus in English. Teacher PA stated that in conducting teaching and learning process, he used English in the opening, giving materials, and closing, but she still also used Indonesian language to emphasize the concepts. He reflect the character education in each of activities as shown in the his lesson plan.

c.       The model of teaching and learning activities

Teacher provided guides and strategies to assist the students in comprehending materials through presentation of topic and tasks from subject matter being taught. The activities in teaching-learning activity enabling students to comprehend the materials through English either written or orally. Based on the observation and interview, the teachers used presentation both from the teachers and from the students, and also group discussion. The model of teaching-learning activities used in this program deal with behavioral theory. Behavioral theory finds out how external, environmental stimuli cause overt or observable learner behavior and how modifying a learner’s environment can change behavior. In this theory, there are some educational practices that can be used to increase learning. The way the teacher presented the material like the use of power point media is used to increase learning.

d.      The teacher’s roles

The teacher presented the material from the subject matter being taught while the students listened to the explanation. In the teaching-learning process, the teacher acted as the facilitator and motivator. Teacher PA stated that as a teacher, he acted as a facilitator. He facilitated what the students’ need. Based on the observation in teaching-learning process, teacher PA facilitated his teaching by the media in order that the students can reach understanding well. He assisted the student to learn and to comprehend understanding about the materials.

e.       The learners’ roles

In teaching-learning activities, the students are communicators. They are actively engaged in trying to make themselves understood and in understanding others, even when their knowledge of the target language is not sufficient. The students reached understanding by themselves by actively paid attention to the teacher’s explanation, asked questions, and presented material after discussing.

The Strengths and the Weaknesses of the Use of English in Teaching-Learning Activities

There are some strengths in the using of English in teaching learning activities in the actively. The first, during the teaching-learning activities the  materials had been delivered by using English. The second, the materials used in teaching-learning process were written in English. All references used were selected according to the materials and students’ need.  The third, the researcher found that in delivering materials, the techniques teachers used are interesting and could motivate students to increase learning.

Beside strengths, there are some weaknesses in using English as instructional language in teaching-learning activities in the Designated International Standard School. The first, the teachers didn’t use English optimally. Secondly, teacher didn’t pay attention to the language the teachers and students used. The teachers concerned more on the concept of materials rather than on the language. It can be seen from the observation that the teachers didn’t criticize on students’ sentences when it is not grammatically correct. It is

not appropriate since the objective of this program is to make the outcomes have

international standard.

CONCLUSION

Based on the result above, the researcher found the teachers focused more on the concept being taught rather than on the language the teachers and the students used. The researcher found that the syllabus used in SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Pati is still in Indonesian language. The teachers played roles as a facilitator and motivator. The technique the teachers used in teaching was very interesting and made the students motivated and facilitated. During the teaching-learning proces, the communication was conducted both by using English and Indonesian language although sometimes there were some miscommunications between the teachers and the students. In the teaching-learning activities, teachers and students changed roles as well both as sender and as receiver. The researcher found some strengths and weaknesses in using English as an instructional language in teaching learning activities in the RSBI School. The first strength, the materials were delivered by using English.  The second, the materials used in teaching-learning process were written in English. The third, the techniques the teachers used were interesting and could motivate students to increase learning. Beside strengths, there were some weaknesses. The first, the teachers didn’t use English optimally.  Secondly, the teachers didn’t pay attention to the language the teachers and students used. In that case, the concept of conducting the RSBI School is not maximally implemented especially in using English as the instructional language in teaching-learning process.

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