PLP Activities at SMA Kolombo Sleman

As part of their seventh-semester academic activities, students of the Chemistry Education Study Programme at UIN Sunan Kalijaga completed the School Field Practice (PLP) at SMA Kolombo. The programme lasted 39 days, from 8 September to 30 October 2025, and was carried out together with students from other education departments. It gave students a way to develop their pedagogical, professional, social and personality competencies through direct experience in a school setting.

The PLP began with a deployment ceremony on 9 September 2025, attended by the field supervising lecturer, the school principal, the mentor teachers and the participating students. On the first day, the students coordinated with their mentor teachers to set the teaching practice schedule and class assignments, and to learn the teaching methods the mentor teachers usually use. The students were given the opportunity to teach class XI F1, which has 29 pupils.

During the first three weeks, the students carried out observation and became familiar with the school environment, including observing the learning process in classes X and XI. The observations aimed to understand the pupils' characteristics, the teachers' teaching styles and the dynamics of teaching and learning activities at the school. After the Mid-Semester Summative Assessment (ASTS) was over, the students began teaching practice over seven sessions. In this period, the students recorded a total of seven regular class teaching sessions, as follows:

• 9 October        : Alkene Isomers (Session 1)
• 14 October      : Alkene Isomers (Session 2)
• 16 October      : Alkyne Isomers
• 21 October      : Physical and Chemical Properties of Hydrocarbon Compounds
• 23 October      : Thermochemistry: The Law of Conservation of Energy, System and Surroundings
• 28 October      : Thermochemistry: Exothermic and Endothermic Reactions
• 30 October      : Calorimetry

Before teaching, the students consulted their mentor teachers on their teaching modules to get guidance on the lesson plans. In practice, the students used various learning models, such as Direct Instruction, Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL), Discovery Learning and Guided Inquiry. To raise the pupils' interest in learning, digital learning media were used, such as the Educaplay platform for interactive quizzes and PowerPoint presentations designed in Canva to make the visuals more attractive.

Besides classroom teaching, the students also took an active part in various school activities. These included the 5S habit (Senyum, Salam, Sapa, Sopan, Santun: smile, greet, say hello, be polite and be courteous), lobby duty, guidance and counselling (BK) duty to record pupil attendance in the morning, and helping with girls' activities (keputrian), ASTS supervision and the election of the student council (OSIS) chair. The students also took part in the commemoration of National Sports Day (HAORNAS) and several other routine activities at the school. Their involvement in these non-academic activities gave the students valuable experience in understanding the school culture as a whole.

The PLP was closed on 30 October 2025 with an official withdrawal ceremony attended by the school principal, the mentor teachers, the field supervising lecturer and all PLP participants. In their remarks, the school expressed its appreciation for the students' contribution to teaching and learning and to other school activities. The university, through the field supervising lecturer, also thanked the school for its cooperation and guidance throughout the PLP.

Overall, the PLP at SMA Kolombo gave the Chemistry Education students of UIN Sunan Kalijaga valuable experience. Through this programme, the students not only gained practical teaching skills but also learned to adapt to the work environment, work together as a team and develop professionalism as competent future educators.