Success in Teaching and Learning

 

 

The Success of Teaching and Learning

Learning

 Learning is defined as a process of effort carried out by a person to obtain an entirely new change in behaviour, as a result of their own experience in interaction with their environment. Learning is a process of effort carried out by an individual to obtain an entirely new change in behaviour, as a result of that individual's own experience in interaction with the environment (Moh. Surya, 1992, 23).

The characteristics of learning activities are:

1) Learning is an activity that produces change in the individual who learns.

2) The change obtained is a new change, which lasts for a relatively long time.

3) The change occurs because of effort. 

 Understanding learning is very important. To obtain an objective understanding of learning, especially learning at school, the definition of learning needs to be formulated clearly. Among psychologists there is diversity in how learning is explained and defined. Nevertheless, explicitly or implicitly, their meanings ultimately share something in common, namely that in any definition the concept of learning always refers to a process of change in a person's behaviour or personality based on particular practice or experience.

 The changes that occur in a person are very numerous in both nature and kind, so of course not every change in a person is a change in the sense of learning. If someone's hand becomes bent because it was broken after being hit by a car, that kind of change cannot be classified as a change in the sense of learning. Likewise, changes in the behaviour of a person who is intoxicated, and changes occurring in aspects of maturation, growth, and development, are not included as changes in the sense of learning. 

Teaching 

 "Teaching is the guidence of leaming" (teaching is guidance given to learners in the learning process). Teaching is the handing over of culture in the form of experiences and skills to learners, or the effort to pass on the culture of society to the next generation as the successor generation.

 Definitions of teaching according to experts:

(1). Jerome S. Brunner, in his book Toward a Theory of Instruction, states that teaching is presenting ideas, problems, or knowledge in a simple form so that every student can understand them (Uzer Usman and Lilis Setyawati, 1993: 5).

(2). Ngalim Purwanto, in his book Ilmu Pendidikan Teoritis dan Praktis (Theoretical and Practical Education Science) (1998: 150), states that teaching means giving knowledge or training skills and abilities to children. Thus, teaching is not merely a process of conveying knowledge, but has a broader and more complex meaning, namely the occurrence of human communication and interaction in its various aspects.

 

3. Learning Outcomes 

 Learning outcomes are a final assessment of a process and of recognition that has been carried out repeatedly. Evidence that a person has learned is the occurrence of a change in that person's behaviour, for example from not knowing to knowing, and from not understanding to understanding (Hamalik, 2008: 30). According to Dimyati and Mudjiono (1999), learning outcomes can be viewed from two sides, namely the student's side and the teacher's side. From the student's side, learning outcomes are a level of mental development that is better compared with before learning. Howard Kingsley (Nana Sudjana, 2005:85) divides learning outcomes into 3 kinds: 

1) Skills and habits; 

2) Knowledge and understanding; and 

3) Attitudes and ideals. 

 This view from Howard Kingsley shows the results of change from all learning processes. These learning outcomes will remain attached to the student because they have become part of the student's life.

The Success of Teaching and Learning

 A teaching and learning process on a particular teaching material is declared successful if its specific instructional objectives (TIK) can be achieved. To find out whether the TIK have been achieved, the teacher needs to hold a formative test after finishing presenting each topic to students. This formative assessment is to find out how far students have mastered the specific instructional objectives (TIK) to be achieved. The function of this assessment is to provide feedback to the teacher in order to improve the teaching and learning process and to carry out remedial programmes for students who have not yet succeeded.

 For that reason, a teaching and learning process on a teaching material is declared successful if its results meet the specific instructional objectives of that material. It can therefore be concluded that the meaning of teaching and learning success is the achievement of specific instructional objectives that have been planned or drawn up beforehand.

 

Indicators of Teaching and Learning Success

Teacher

 The teacher is the one who carries out learning, so in this respect the teacher is the most important factor. In the teacher's hands lies the success of learning. The teacher component cannot be manipulated or engineered by other components, whereas the teacher is able to manipulate or engineer other components so that they vary. Other components, however, cannot change the teacher to be varied. The aim of learning engineering by the teacher is to shape the learners' environment so that it matches the environment expected from the learners' learning process, so that ultimately the learners obtain learning outcomes as expected. For this reason, in engineering learning, the teacher must base it on the prevailing curriculum.

Students

 Learners are the component that carries out learning activities to develop their potential abilities into reality in order to achieve learning goals. This learner component can be modified by the teacher.

Curriculum 

 Curriculum can be defined as a set or system of plans and arrangements concerning the content and materials of lessons, as well as the methods used as guidelines for carrying out teaching and learning activities. Because the curriculum is regarded as a guideline for a school or madrasah, in its implementation the curriculum requires several components that are related to and connected with one another to achieve the goals. The components of the curriculum include: objectives, educators, learners, content, procedures or strategies, educational facilities and infrastructure, and community support. The curriculum, in Law No. 20 of 2003, Chapter I, Article 1, paragraph 19, is a set of plans and arrangements concerning the objectives, content, and materials of lessons, as well as the methods used as guidelines for organising learning activities to achieve particular educational goals. 

Learning Objectives

 Objectives are the foundation used as the basis for determining the strategy, materials, media, and evaluation of learning. For this reason, in a learning strategy, determining the objectives is the first component a teacher must choose, because learning objectives are the targets to be achieved in learning activities.

Learning materials 

 Learning materials are the medium for achieving learning objectives, in the form of content arranged systematically and dynamically in line with the direction of the objectives, the progress of science, and the demands of society. According to Suharsimi (1990), teaching materials are the core component found in learning activities.

Learning activities

 So that learning objectives can be achieved optimally, in determining the learning strategy it is necessary to formulate learning activity components that comply with the standards of the learning process.

Methods

 A method is a way used to achieve the learning objectives that have been set. The choice of method that the teacher will use in the learning process will greatly determine whether the learning that takes place succeeds or not.

Factors that influence the success of teaching and learning

  There are several factors that influence the success of teaching and learning, namely external and internal factors, and learning approach factors.

External factors 

Social environment factors, such as teachers, education staff (the principal and deputies), and classmates, the community, and neighbours.

 Non-social environment factors, such as the school building and its location, the family home and its location, learning tools, weather conditions, and the study time used by students.

Internal factors

Physiological aspects (physical in nature), such as hearing and eyesight.

Psychological aspects (spiritual in nature), including the student's level of intelligence, attitude, talent, interest, and motivation.

Learning approach factors

The deep learning approach factor

The surface learning approach factor

The reproductive learning approach factor

  However, there are other factors that influence learning, of many kinds, but what is explained here are the factors that influence learning from the school side, which include: 

Teaching methods. 

 A teaching method is a way or path that must be followed in teaching. Teaching itself, according to Ign. S. Ulih B.Karo (M. Joko, 2006), is presenting lesson material to others so that it is received, mastered, and developed. From the explanation above, it is clear that teaching methods influence learning.

Curriculum. 

  Curriculum is defined as a number of activities given to students. These activities are mostly about presenting lesson material so that students receive, master, and develop that material. Because the curriculum is regarded as a guideline for a school or madrasah, in its implementation the curriculum requires several components that are related to and connected with one another to achieve the goals. The components of the curriculum include: objectives, educators, learners, content, procedures or strategies, educational facilities and infrastructure, and community support.

Teacher-student relations. 

 The teaching and learning process takes place between teacher and students. That process is also influenced by the relations within the process itself. So the way students learn is also influenced by their relationship with their teacher. 

Student-student relations.

 Students who have traits or behaviour that other friends find unpleasant, who have feelings of inferiority, or who are experiencing inner pressure, will be isolated from the group. As a result, the situation worsens and their learning can be disrupted.

School discipline. 

  School discipline is closely related to students' diligence at school and in learning. This covers all aspects, including teachers' discipline in teaching, because educators' discipline can also set an example for students or learners.

 

Learning Strategy

 A learning strategy is strategic thinking and effort in selecting, arranging, mobilising, and bringing into synergy all methods, facilities/infrastructure, and resources to achieve goals. 

 Viewed from the dimension of implementation (with the teacher as the actor), a learning strategy is a decision to act strategically in modifying and completing the components of the instructional system to make the achievement of learning objectives more effective. Viewed from the dimension of implementation (in terms of the teaching and learning process), a learning strategy is the general pattern of teacher-student actions in a teaching and learning event (Abimayu, 2008: 122). 

  Knowing learners' learning patterns is an asset for a teacher in determining a learning strategy. Robert M. Gagne (1979) distinguished learners' learning patterns into eight types, each of which is a prerequisite for the others higher in the hierarchy.

Learning Type 1: Signal Learning 

 Signal learning can be defined as mastery of basic behavioural patterns that are involuntary (unintentional, with the purpose not being realised). This type involves an aspect of emotional reaction. The conditions required for this type of learning are that a stimulus (signal) is given simultaneously and certain stimuli are given repeatedly.

Type 2: Stimulus-Response Learning.

 Type 2 learning is included in instrumental conditioning, or learning by trial and error. The process of language learning in children is a process similar to this. The condition required for this type of learning is the reinforcement factor.

Learning Type 3: Chaining Learning

 Chaining learning is learning to connect one S-R (Stimulus-Response) bond unit with another. The conditions required for this type of learning include, internally, that the learner must already have mastered a number of S-R pattern units, both psychomotor and verbal.

Learning Type 4: Verbal Association

 Both chaining and verbal association, these two types of learning, connect one S-R bond unit with another.

Discrimination Learning

 Discrimination learning, or learning to differentiate. In this type, learners make a selection and test among the stimuli or the number of stimuli they receive, then choose the response patterns considered most suitable.

 

Concept Learning 

 Concept learning is learning to understand or form concepts (understandings). The formation of concepts is based on understanding the similarity of characteristics among a set of stimuli and objects being studied. The main condition required is mastery of discrimination skills and the fundamental cognitive processes that precede it.

Rule Learning 

 Rule learning is learning to make generalisations, laws, and rules. At this level, learners learn to combine various concepts by operating the rules of formal logic (inductive, deductive, synthesis, association, differentiation, comparison, and causality).

Problem Solving 

 Problem solving is learning to solve problems. At this level, learners learn to formulate and solve problems, and to respond to stimuli that depict or give rise to problematic situations, using the various rules they have already mastered. 

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