Culture teaching in EFL classes: Teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, and classroom practices

It is inevitably believed that culture teaching is the pivotal feeling of integrating culture into the teaching of a language, including in the EFL setting. This study aims to explore the English teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, and the reflection of their beliefs and attitudes on the teaching syllabi. The sequential explanatory mix-methods design was applied in junior high schools in Ngawi. The data were obtained from 144 English teachers’ answers to a questionnaire and interviews with six teachers. Then, the data were analysed by using descriptive statistics, the independent sample T-test, and the Mann-Whitney test. The results indicated that the majority of junior high school English teachers believed in the importance of incorporating culture into their teaching of the language taught and students’ learning process. Moreover, both state and private junior high school English teachers showed similar beliefs and attitudes related to culture teaching. When they taught English, the culture associated with that language had also been taught so that the misconception of learning the language can be minimized. The result of teachers’ practices strongly indicates that the English teachers in Ngawi had implemented the teaching of culture and inserted various cultural elements in the process of their teaching and learning in the EFL classes.

Analisis Kualitas Soal Try-Out Bahasa Inggris SMP di Kota Makassar Berdasarkan Teori Respon Butir

The aim of this study was to describe the quality of English testing intrument used in Try Out National Exam conducted by 40 Junior High Schools in Makassar-Sulawesi Selatan, using Item Response Theory (IRT) especially based on one (1PL), two (2PL), and three (3PL) parameters models. The data consist of 1.267 student’s answer sheets and the test has 50 multiple choice items. Results showed that the test is preferably good at both item difficulty and item dicrimination as suggest by 1PL and 2PL estimation. But at 3PL estimation, the test unable to discriminate students ability, while 38 % of the items were easy to guess.

The association of social capital with depression and quality of life in school-aged children

Social capital is an important factor that affects mental health. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between social capital and depression and between social capital and quality of life (QoL) in children in elementary and junior high school and to examine how this relationship differs in relevant patterns at both the individual- and school-level. The study was conducted in all elementary and junior high schools in a single municipality; the subjects consisted of 3,722 elementary school and 3,987 junior high school students (aged from 9 to 15). A multilevel linear mixed effect model analysis revealed that all three subscales of social capital were associated with depression and QoL at the individual-level: The school social capital at the individual-level showed the strongest association with depression and QoL. We also found that some of social capital at the school-level was associated with depression and QoL. An interactive effect was observed between educational stage (elementary and junior high) and some of social capital subscales. Specifically, the inverse association between school social capital and depression was stronger among the junior high students, while the positive association between school and neighborhood social capital and QoL was stronger among the elementary students. These interactions suggest that social capital impacts depression and QoL differently in elementary and junior high students. These findings suggest that the degree of association of social capital domains differs in mental health among the educational stage.

The Effect of Problem-Based Learning on Metacognitive Ability in the Conjecturing Process of Junior High School Students

This study aimed to analyze the effect of problem-based learning on metacognitive abilities in the conjecturing process of junior high school students. To reach this purpose, a mixed-methods design, which is a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, was used. The quantitative method was used to analyze the metacognitive abilities of the students’ conjecturing process, while the qualitative method was used to explore observation and interview data. The subjects of this study consisted of 60 eighth-grade students. Two learning models were compared, namely the problem-based learning model and the conventional learning model. The metacognitive abilities of students’ conjecturing process were measured by a pattern generalization problem-solving test. After collecting the data and analyzing them through the independent-samples t-test, it was revealed that the PBL had a significant effect on the metacognitive abilities of students’ conjecturing process in solving pattern generalization problems. Finally, based on the results, some conclusions and implications were suggested.

Bantuan Hukum Online Non Litigasi Dalam Rangka Menuju Desa yang Modern dan Berkeadilan

Most of the residents of Baros village work in the agricultural and plantation sectors with most of the residents having education up to junior high and high school levels. Thus, they do not understand the law and technology that is currently developing due to their low educational background. Therefore, Baros Village needs socialization about the online legal assistance of nonlitigation in order towards a modern and justice village. The method used is in the form of socialization accompanied by counseling to the community, namely by providing explanations and discussions with the aim of activities that Baros villagers understand the importance of online legal assistance through non-litigation using current technology such as computers, laptops and hand phones. The results of the activities in the socialization turned out to be many Baros villagers who did not understand the existence of online legal assistance to resolve their cases outside the court such as negotiation, mediation, conciliation, and consultation. The village office must provide an internet network, computer or laptop for its citizens to learn technology in order to become a modern village. Abstrak Sebagian besar penduduk desa Baros bekerja di sektor pertanian dan perkebunan dengan sebagian besar warganya mempunyai pendidikan sampai tingkat SMP dan SMA. Sehingga mereka kurang memahami hukum dan teknologi yang berkembang saat ini dikarenakan latar belakang pendidikan yang masih rendah. Oleh karenanya, Desa Baros perlu adanya sosialisasi tentang pentingnya memahami teknologi dan hukum untuk dapat menyelesaikan sengketanya secara online dan melalui alternative penyelesaian sengketa diluar pengadilan atau non litigasi. Metode yang digunakan berupa sosialisasi disertai penyuluhan kepada masyarakat yaitu dengan memberikan penjelasan dan diskusi dengan tujuan kegiatan agar warga desa Baros memahami pentingnya bantuan hukum online melalui non litigasi dengan menggunakan teknologi saat ini seperti computer, laptop dan Hand phone. Hasil kegiatan dalam sosialisasi ternyata banyak warga desa Baros yang tidak memahami adanya bantuan hukum online untuk menyelesaikan perkaranya melalui diluar pengadilan seperti negosiasi, mediasi, konsiliasi, konseltasi. Kantor desa harus menyediakan jaringan internet, computer atau laptop untuk warganya belajar teknologi agar menjadi desa yang modern.

The Relationship Between Long Working Hours and Stress Responses in Junior High School Teachers: A Nationwide Survey in Japan

Background: Long working hours and mental health problems among teachers are a concern in Japan. More specifically, it has been reported that junior high school teachers tend to work overtime. In this study, examined the working hours of junior high school teachers in public schools and investigated the association between overtime work and stress responses across job titles.Methods: From June to December 2018, 54,772 teachers in public junior high schools completed a web-based nationwide survey regarding occupational stress and submitted self-evaluated working hours per day of the previous month. Psychological and physical stress responses were assessed using the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire.Results: Results showed that 59.6% of the participants worked 11 h or more per day. Additionally, the length of working hours significantly differed across job titles (χ2 (30) = 5295.8, p < 0.001, Cramér’s V = 0.14). With respect to tenured teachers, sex (female), age, taking charge of the class, number of working years in the same school, working hours of 10 to 11 h, 11 to 12 h, 12 to 13 h, and 13 h or more were significantly associated with high stress, compared to those who worked less than 9 h per day. Moreover, for fixed-term teachers, sex (female), age, working hours of 9 to 10 h, 10 to 11 h, 11 to 12 h, 12 to 13 h, and 13 h or more were related with more stress as compared to those who worked less than 9 h per day. On the other hand, there was no significant relationship between long working hours and stress response among vice-principals, even though they tended to work the longest hours.Conclusion: We verified that Japanese junior high school teachers work long hours. Long working hours were associated with stress responses in both tenured and fixed-term teachers, but not in vice-principals. However, vice-principals work the longest hours among teachers, and we suggest that these long working hours may be a hidden problem that is often overlooked.

Flip Book Based Electronic Module As Learning Needs To Write Adversiting Texts For Junior High School Students

This research is a stage in the development of an electronic module for writing flip book-based advertising texts for junior high schools. This study aims to describe the analysis of students' needs in writing advertising texts. The research method used is a survey method. The data collection technique in this study was a questionnaire. This study uses a Likert scale to measure students' attitudes, opinions, and or perceptions of the developed electronic module. This study used a questionnaire that was made in the form of a checklist with an assessment range of 1 to 5. The questionnaire that was prepared was addressed to students in four SMP/MTs equivalent in Bengkalis district. This sampling technique is based on the sampling quota determined by the researcher. The data analysis technique is done by changing the category value into an assessment score and analyzing the score. The results showed that 66.5% of students had difficulty understanding advertising text material and 80.1% of students wanted advertising text writing material to be delivered with interesting, interactive, and innovative learning media, and 87.1% of students wanted advertising text writing learning media. which makes it easier for them to learn independently. This shows the need to develop an electronic module for writing flip book-based advertising text.

Pengaruh Pembelajaran Jarak Jauh di Tengah Pandemi COVID-19 dan Kecemasan Orang Tua terhadap Perilaku Religius Siswa

The aims of this study were to 1) determine the effect of distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic on the students’ religious behavior; 2) determine the effect of parental anxiety on the students’ religious behavior, 3) Knowing the effect of distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic and parental anxiety about the students’ religious behavior of Muhammadiyah 1 Kartasura Junior High School academic year 2020/2021. This research is quantitative. The sample of this study was 72 students of Muhammadiyah 1 Kartasura Junior High School academic year 2020/2021. Test the instrument using validity and reliability tests. Classical assumption test using normality test, multicollinearity test, and heteroscedasticity test. The data analysis technique used Multiple Linear Regression, F test, t-test, and coefficient of determination (R2). The results showed that distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic on the religious behavior of Muhammadiyah 1 Kartasura Junior High School students academic year 2020/2021 proved to have a negative effect. The effect of parental anxiety on the religious behavior of Muhammadiyah 1 Kartasura Junior High School students academic year 2020/2021 has been proven to impact positively. The impact of distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic and parental anxiety on the religious behavior of Muhammadiyah 1 Kartasura Junior High School students academic year 2020/2021 has proven to be influential.