KBK Development Through Contextual Teaching and Learning Strategies

KBK Development Through Contextual Teaching and Learning Strategies
In order to improve the quality of education in Indonesia is worse off with the phenomenon of graduates who are less qualified, the government has formulated the competency-based curriculum. In 2004, the government will implement competency-based curriculum simultaneously in the schools after going through testing since 2001 in some particular school.

KBKhas a different concept learning approach to curriculum in 1994, which is competency-based school program where the focus is on students and what will be done by them by paying attention to life skills (life skills) and contextual learning. In development, the entire school and community elements need to be involved directly, among others, principals, school committees, teachers, staff, parents and students.

A curriculum is not simply learning the instructions drawn up by the government to be implemented in their respective schools. Sinclair (2003) asserts that a good curriculum is giving more flexibility for schools to accommodate the special needs of students according to the demands of their communities. Therefore, the school has full authority in implementing the CBC in teaching and learning.

One of the most important element in the implementation of CBC is highly dependent on understanding the teacher to implement contextual learning strategies in the classroom. However, there is a phenomenon that shows little understanding of teachers about this strategy. Therefore we need a teaching model using contextual learning that is easily understood and applied in a simple class.

Contextual learning is based on the results of the study John Dewey (1916) who concluded that students will learn well if what is learned related to what is already known and with the activities or events that will happen around it. This study emphasizes the thought of high power, Finishing the transfer of knowledge, collect and analyze data, solve certain problems either individually or in groups

In a competency-based curriculum, teachers can use contextual teaching strategies with attention to several things: provide a variety of activities that can serve the individual differences of students, better enable students and teachers, encouraging the development of new capabilities, creating fabric of learning activities in schools, homes and environment community. Through this learning, students become more responsive in using knowledge and skills in real life so it has a high motivation to learn.

Some teaching strategies that can be developed by teachers through contextual learning, among others:

1. Problem based learning

Before you begin the process of teaching and learning in the classroom, students are first asked to observe a phenomenon first. Then students are asked to note the problems that arise. After that, the task of the teacher is to stimulate students to think critically in solving problems. The task of teachers is to lead students to ask questions, to prove the assumption, and listening to different perspectives with them.

2. Students use the environment to obtain a learning experience

Teachers give assignments that can be done in various environmental contexts among other students at school, family and community. Assignments given by teachers provide opportunities for students to learn outside the classroom. For example, students out of classrooms and interacting directly for an interview. Students are expected to gain direct experience of what is being learned. Learning experience is a learning activity that must be done in order to achieve student mastery of the competency standards, basic skills and learning material.

3. Provide group activities

Group learning activities can broaden perspectives and develop interpersonal skills to relate to others. Teachers may arrange groups of three, five and eight students in accordance with the level of difficulty of the assignment.

4. Creating a self-learning activities

Learners are able to search, analyze and use information with little or no teacher assistance. In order to do so, students need more attention to how they process information, apply problem-solving strategies, and use the knowledge they have acquired. Contextual learning experience should follow the first trial; provide adequate time, and creating a reflection; and seek without asking for help so that teachers can make the learning process independently (independent learning).

5. Creating a learning activity in collaboration with the community

Schools can conduct cooperation with parents who have special skills to be a guest teacher. This needs to be done to provide direct learning experiences where students can be motivated to ask questions. Moreover, cooperation can also be done by certain institutions or companies to provide work experience. For example asking students for internships in the workplace.

6. Implementing authentic assessment

In contextual learning, authentic assessment can help students to apply academic information and skills that have been obtained on real-life situation for a particular purpose. According to Johnson (2002: 165), authentic assessment provides ample opportunity for students to show what they have learned during the teaching-learning process. The assessment forms that can be used by teachers is the portfolio, group work, demonstrations, and written reports.

Portfolio is a collection of tasks undertaken in the context of student learning in everyday life. Students are expected to work on that task to be more creative. They obtained the freedom of learning. In addition, the portfolio also provide wider opportunities to develop, and motivate students. This assessment is not required to obtain a valuation figures, but look at the process of students as active learners. For example, students are asked to conduct a survey on the types of jobs in her neighborhood.

Contextual learning task in the form of group project. This activity is a way to achieve academic goals while accommodating differences in learning styles, interests, and talents of each student. The contents of academic projects related to the context of real life, therefore this task can increase student participation. For example, students were asked to form project groups to investigate the causes of river pollution in the environment of students.

In the assessment through demonstration, students are asked to display the inspection results to others about the competencies they have mastered. The audience can give the student performance evaluation. For example, students are asked to form groups to make the play and mementaskannya in the drama.

The last form of assessment is a written report. Forms can be a letter written reports, technical training manuals, brochures, research essays, shorter essays.

According to Brooks & Brooks in Johnson (2002: 172), forms of assessment like this is better than memorizing the text, students are required to use higher thinking skills in order to help solve problems encountered in everyday life.

Based on the translation of which has been stated above, the competency-based curricula should be developed that can be applied effectively in teaching and learning process. Teachers as curriculum implementers can apply contextual learning strategies in order to provide a learning experience. Thus, students are expected to have the skills to solve problems of living in accordance with learning activities that lead students to engage directly in the context of home, community and workplace.

The successful implementation of contextual learning needs to involve all parties. In this case, the authors suggested that the school and the community have an awareness of the importance of several things: a source of learning not only from books and teachers, but also from the surrounding environment both at home and in society; contextual learning strategy has many variations, enabling teachers to develop learning models that are different from the existing regularity; the school and the community need to provide support both materially and non-material to support the success of students' learning process.