Increasing Teacher’s Competencies through Empowerment of Madrasah Teachers Forum

It is a School Action Research with two cycles where each cycle consists of four stages; they are Planning, Implementing corrective actions, Observing, and Reflecting. It aims to find out the improvement of teachers’ competencies through Madrasah Teachers Forum known as MGMP. This research was conducted in Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 1 Pamekasan – East Java, Indonesia. It involved six Mathematic teachers, four Physics teachers and three Biology teachers as research subjects. The results showed that there was an increase in the competencies of the member of teachers forum at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 1 Pamekasan. This can be seen from the results of observations in two cycles, as well as on the results of the tests carried out. It can be seen that the results of the posttest significantly increased. In the distribution of the questionnaire conducted to find out teachers' perceptions and opinions on the Madrasah Teachers Forum, the results of the questionnaire were at a value of 85%; thus, teachers felt the direct benefits of the Madrasah Teachers Forum to increase their competencies. Based on the results of the study, the researcher recommends to teachers participating in the Madrasah Teachers Forum to: (1) Utilize Madrasah Teachers Forum activities as an empowerment forum to update and upgrade their professional competencies and (2) Utilize Madrasah Teachers Forum to establish strong solidarity among teachers.

Training action for physics teachers: an application of problem-based learning

The teaching of problem-based learning is a didactic approach that requires a radical change in the role of the physics teacher because it is focused on learning, research, and reflection that students follow to reach a solution to a problem situation as a starting point for the acquisition and integration of knowledge in science. The results of a training action for physics teachers on the implementation, their perceptions, and perspectives on the feasibility of the problem-based Learning approach are presented. The study is quasi-experimental in nature with pre-test and post-test in the study variables. The results suggest that the teachers’ perceptions are positive, which is why they consider that its implementation in teaching is viable, however, they need more elements that facilitate their execution in the classroom, such as understanding the theoretical foundations and their pedagogical use successful in the classroom. It is concluded that, for the physics teaching process, problem-based learning is an innovation because it allows the student to learn actively, in which inquiry is relevant for the development of skills and appropriation of knowledge, which in the framework of natural sciences leads to the reconstruction of the scientific method.

Development of Web-Based Physics E-Module Using Discovery-based Learning Model on Newton's Law Materials

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to online learning. The sudden learning process shift from offline to online causes new problems, including students’ difficulty in interacting during the learning process. The media used are usually only in the form of WhatsApp groups and emails which caused students to have difficulty understanding the lesson, limited learning resources and insufficient study time. One way to overcome this problem is to create a web-based physics e-module as an appropriate learning medium in this online learning period. The learning model used was discovery-based learning in order that students could find concepts independently. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a web-based e-module using a discovery-based learning model to increase student's interest and desire to learn. The development used in this research was 4-D (Define, Design, Develop, Disseminate). This research was carried out until the development stage. At the development stage, the e-module validation was carried out by 4 experts as validators. The validation results obtained were 87.8% with very valid criteria. Meanwhile, the practicality of this web-based physics e-module was carried out on students and physics teachers of class XI MIPA 1 SMA N 2 Padang Panjang with percentages of 89.6%, respectively, with very practical criteria. To sum up, this web-based physics e-module using a discovery learning model on Newton's Law material was very valid and very practical to use.

Integrating Video-Based Multimedia in Teaching Physics in Context of Covid-19 in Rwandan Secondary Schools

The Covid-19 pandemic has paralyzed the education system and lead to temporary school closure. After school re-opening, long-term responses to a resilient education system were needed. A descriptive survey research design was used to diagnose the barriers to video-based multimedia integration in teaching and learning physics in certain secondary schools. 47 physics teachers (35 males and 12 females) were purposely selected from 24 schools located in the Rutsiro and Rubavu districts. A questionnaire was given to all 47 teachers. One-on-one interview with great attention to the measures of reducing the transmission of Covid-19 was conducted to all senior five physics teachers. Research findings revealed that video-based multimedia is less used in teaching and learning physics. Teachers indicated that poor infrastructure, poor teachers’ training aimed at effective integration of multimedia in education, pressure to prepare students for exams, and teachers’ lack of time for preparation are major factors that impede the use of video-based multimedia in teaching and learning physics. Results also provided proof of the necessity to provide digital devices to teachers and learners, teachers’ training, and learners’ preparation for virtual classes so that video-based multimedia could be a better instructional strategy to long-term responses for Covid-19 and future shocks. The findings of this study revealed that VBM could be a consensus on education and technology competency required to support teaching and learning especially during Covid-19 and future shocks.

Measuring the Classification of Digital Natives use Digital Natives Assessment Scale: The Implementation on Pre-Service Physics Teachers in Banten-Indonesia and Its Implications

Education in the digital era had shifted conventional learning methods to digital technology-based learning. Likewise with students have to be faced by pre-service physics teachers who have entered the generation of digital natives. However, is it true that the concept of digital natives exists? Moreover, whether pre-service physics teachers belong to that generation? Therefore, the objective of this study was to prove the construct validity of the Digital Natives Assessment Scale using data from pre-service physics teachers in Banten Province, Indonesia. And follow-up analysis is used to find the relationship between digital natives' status and pre-service physics teacher technology mastery. This study used a quantitative approach with the correlational method. The type of correlation research chosen was Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The instrument used was a Digital Natives Assessment Scale (DNAS) questionnaire consisting of 21 items and four factors, measured using a 7-point scale. The results showed that this study could not prove the 4-factor DNAS model for pre-service teacher participants in Banten Province based on the results of the CFA. And there was no relationship between the status of digital natives and the level of technology mastery of pre-service teachers based on Pearson correlation analysis. So it can be concluded that using a sample of student-teacher candidates in Indonesia, the 4-factor DNAS cannot be proven construct validity. However, this decision is not final but should be tested on a larger scale to show DNAS matches.

Learning Designing for Establishment Physics Content and Teacher Pedagogic Aspects Through Lesson Study-based In-House Training

Mastering physics content is essential for physics teachers to carry out the learning process in the classroom. After mastering good physics content, teachers must also master the teaching competencies contained in pedagogical competencies. This study aims to demonstrate efforts to increase teachers' mastery of physics content and pedagogic competence. The pedagogic aspect refers to the teacher's ability to prepare practical instructions in a Cookbook Laboratory, Inquiry Laboratory, Problem-Solving Laboratory, and Higher Order Thinking Laboratory. The method used is in-house training based on lesson study. There are three stages of activities carried out, including Plan, Do, and See. Data were collected using observation sheets, interview guidelines, performance instruments, and tests. The study results show that the professional competence of teachers who are members of the Science Teacher Deliberation (MGMP) in one province in West Java has increased, especially concerning materials competencies practiced. In addition, the pedagogical competence of the teachers who are members of the Science MGMP has increased, especially concerning the mastery of organizing science practicums oriented to developing the 21st-century skills of students.

E-learning Facilities for Teaching Secondary School Physics: Awareness, Availability and Utilization

Secondary school physics contribute significantly to the technological development of a nation because it lays the foundation for further studies in physics. Physics is an abstract science subject that relies greatly on practical, and the crucial role played by the use of instructional materials especially, e-learning facilities in this 21st century cannot be over emphasized. This study investigates the awareness, availability and utilization of e-learning facilities among secondary school physics teachers. We adopt the descriptive survey design which involved 78 physics teachers, randomly selected from all the secondary schools in Ondo, Nigeria. A researcher designed checklist was used to collect data for this study. Three research questions were answered using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation) and the findings from this investigation revealed that physics teachers are aware of most of the e-learning facilities for teaching secondary school physics but only few of these facilities are readily available for teaching physics. This investigation also revealed that only one of these e-learning facilities (desktop computer) was utilized by secondary school physics teachers. This study conclude that e-learning facilities were not used in teaching secondary school physics in Ondo. Based on this findings, physics teachers are encouraged to use the few e-learning facilities that are available in secondary schools. Also, government education agencies and school management team are encouraged to further stress the importance of using the available e-learning facilities for teaching secondary school physics through in-service trainings and workshops.

Pre-service physics teachers’ mental models about the electric field

This paper identifies pre-service physics teachers’ mental models of the concept of the electric field. The models were determined by means of five contexts all of which were supported with sets of experiments. The contexts examined were (1) the effect of the electric field on the insulator, (2) the comparison of the conductor and insulator in the electric field, (3) the effect of the electric field on the neutral conductor and insulator, (4) the effect of the electric field on the conductor liquid, and (5) the effect of the conductor and insulators materials forming a closed surface on the electric field. Semi-structured interviews related to the contexts were conducted with the 22 pre-service physics teachers. The data collected throughout the interviews were put to content analysis and thus, the pre-service teachers’ mental models were identified. In total, six mental models were identified. One model was a scientific model (Scientific Model of the Electric Field (SMEF)) and five of which were unscientific models (Magnetic-Based Field Model (MBFM), Mechanical Wave Model (MWM), Material Independent Field Model (MIFM), Force-Free Field Model (FFFM) and Force-Based Field Model (FBFM)) were identified. It became apparent as a result of document analysis that several unscientific mental models were also included in resource books. Approximately one and a half years later, almost all students were interviewed again about the contexts so as to find whether or not their models were permanent or not. Following the interviews, their mental models were found to be quite permanent and to be time-independent.