The Inclusive Education Program in Jambi: Voices from Insiders

This study was aimed at exploring the inclusive education programs developed by the government including inclusion-education curriculum, special mentor recruitment, and infrastructure facilities in the schools. The study used a qualitative method with a case-study tradition. The data were collected through interviews with 8 informants, 5 classroom observations, and documents at one elementary school. The interview data were analyzed using within-case and cross-case analyses among informants. The observational data were recorded and presented in accordance with the themes of the interview results and document data were used as the comparison. The results revealed that there were no new student admission preparation, and lack of government attention on infrastructure. The presentation of the data also included the challenges faced in implementing inclusive education. Suggestions and implications for schools in the implementation of inclusive education and the government are discussed.

Perceived Effectiveness on the Use of English Language in Teaching Mathematics and Science

This study investigated the perceived level of effectiveness on the use of English in teaching mathematics and science in one bilingual school in Jambi, Sumatra, Indonesia. Students from grades 5 and 6 and six teachers participated in the study by providing data on their experiences in learning and teaching Mathematics and Science using English medium for instruction. A questionnaire was used in this study consisting of the socio-demographic characteristics of the students and teacher, school factors, perceived level of effectiveness on the use of English in teaching mathematics and science. Statistical procedures of descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation using SPSS 20 were used to analyze data. The major findings of the study were (1) most participants perceived that English medium instruction helped them in improving their English reading and writing skills; (2) most participants agreed with the helpfulness of English as a Medium Instruction; (3) there was no significant relationship between teachers’ socio-demographic characteristics and the perceived level of effectiveness on the use of English in teaching Mathematics and Science; (4) there was a significant relationship between students’ socio-demographic characteristics and the perceived level of effectiveness on the use of English in teaching mathematics and science; (5) there was a significant relationship between school factors such as facilities and equipment with the perceived level of effectiveness on the use of English in teaching mathematics and sciences perceived by students; (6) there was a negative significant relationship between school factors and the perceived level of effectiveness on the use of English in teaching mathematics and science perceived by teachers. Recommendations are also discussed.

Vocational Education in Indonesia Facing ASEAN Economic Community

Nowadays, vocational education and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) are an interesting topic to discuss for contributing to the ASEAN future. This article explores the vocational education in Indonesia facing ASEAN Economic Community. Vocational education is clearly significant not only to help the government but also to determine the future direction of the people and the nation. This article describes the condition of vocational education in facing ASEAN Economic Community. Also, this article explores the strategic roles in the development of vocational education in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) era for the benefit of the nation which is expected by all, especially for society, nation, and the world through reviewing references and literature books, news, journals and opinions in mass media and various related publications and sources. The article discusses the contributions from all stakeholders of education from civil society organizations in Indonesia that are very significant for facing AEC. Implications for educational policies on vocational education are also presented.

Indonesia’s Local Content Curriculum (LCC) Initiative: Decentralization and Perspectives from High School Classrooms in Banten

This study asked how, and in what ways the local content curriculum (LCC) initiative was being implemented in response to decentralization reforms in Banten, Indonesia. A discussion of the background of decentralization and LCC policy and their implementation builds a framework for understanding the development of the LCC. Specific attention is given to school-based teams and curriculum development in relation to Indonesian decentralization policy (macro level) and the LCC as a proxy for the policy at the micro level. The ethnographic case study investigated nine lecturers and 25 students at a university faculty of teacher training and education program, and 16 LCC senior secondary teachers in five high schools. Data were collected through primary interviews, follow- up conversations, and classroom participant-observations. The study was a sustained, ten-month long immersion in the school communities in order to yield data adequate to answer the research questions. The discussion and findings provide extensive and diverse evidence of dynamic responses to LCC policy changes, as lecturers and teachers were well informed about and engaged in the implementation of LCC courses. Implications of findings are discussed.

Making a Rhombicosidodecahedron: Mathematical Thinking Revisited

A rhombicosidodecahedron (an Archimedean solid with 30 square, 20 triangles, and 12 pentagon faces) was redeemed from 60 pieces by modular origami. This study used a qualitative research case study as it asked about how participants experienced this construction process of rhombicosidodecahedron. Preservice primary mathematics teachers from a mathematics and art course were participants of the study. Additionally, one student; the first student who came out with the totally symmetric and no damaged object was interviewed for the assembly process. Mathematical thinking throughout the process was noted. Student brought her/his previous experiences as much as specific aptıtudes. Student took this project as a creative writing piece so that the process gone through similar phases as intro, progress, and artifact. Deformations and sinking occurred but student investigated the specifics of the real mathematical object did it without a fault. To deal with problems occurred in the phases; students used a creative insight as using paperclips to attach modules and assembly of half spheres. Two main processes; organizational and structural took place in the creative model formation and assembly. Suggestions and future studies are also discussed.

The Kindergarten Teachers’ Pedagogical Competences: A Case Study

The study aimed to find out the pedagogical competence of teachers to carry out the interactions of the teaching and learning processes and to assess the development of the cognitive aspects of the children in one Indonesian kindergarten. This study used a qualitative method with the case study tradition. We highlighted the analysis of the data through transcription, coding, and thematic analyses. Findings of the study focused on three major themes including teachers’ competence for planning teaching and learning programs (planning activities for teaching and learning processes and care and protection programs), teacher competence in implementing interaction or managing teaching and learning processes (learning from various resources and doing evaluation on the method used in teaching), and teachers’ competence for conducting learning assessment and evaluation (test assessment and evaluation and non-test assessment and evaluation). Some recommendations for the betterment of Indonesian kindergarten education are proposed.

The Power of Questioning: Teacher’s Questioning Strategies in the EFL Classrooms

The aims of the study were to investigate English teachers’ questioning strategies at one Madrasah in Palembang, South Sumatera. The qualitative research method with a case study approach was employed to look at the ways of the English teachers’ questioning strategies in the processes of teaching and learning and the reasons that made them use certain questioning strategies. The participants in this study were English teachers. We used observation and interviews as our data collection techniques. The observation was used to look at the teacher’s questioning types used in the daily practices of teaching in the EFL classroom while the interview was used to understand the reasons that made them use those types of questioning strategies. Our findings showed three types of teacher’s questioning strategies used by teachers in their teaching and learning processes including convergent, divergent, and procedural questions. Teachers mostly used convergent questions (yes/no and short answers). We also found five reasons why teachers preferred to those types of questioning strategies including recalling students’ understanding, attracting students’ attention, increasing students’ thinking in higher order level, and engaging students in learning activities. Implications and recommendations are also discussed.

The Comparison between Native Speakers of Indonesian and BIPA Learners in Producing Email Requests

This study examined a comparison between Native Speakers (NS) of Indonesian and Indonesian language as a foreign language (Bahasa Indonesia untuk Penutur Asing - BIPA) learners in making email requests. In particular, this study analysed the different aspects of pragmatics of variations in structure and politeness in emails. This study involved nine NS of Indonesian who were studying master’s level programs at the University of Melbourne, and eighteen BIPA learners who took the subject Indonesian 4 in Semester 2, 2018 at the University of Melbourne. Participants wrote an email request based on a given scenario, which was requesting leave in the context of a workplace in Indonesia. The data were obtained by providing participants a description of the scenario, which prompted them to write an email request asking permission to take time off work. However, participants had freedom in terms of the style and structure of the email. In general, this study aimed to examine how their pragmatics varies, especially in terms of structure and politeness.

Looking at the Link between Study Habits and Academic Achievement: The Case of Indonesian EFL Student Teachers

The purpose of this study was to look at the link between English as a foreign language (EFL) student teachers’ study habits and academic achievement. A questionnaire of study habits inventory (SHI) and students’ cumulative GPAs were used as research instruments to EFL student teachers in one English education study program at an Indonesian state Islamic university. Data were analyzed through using the descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. In general, it was found that EFL student teachers’ habits significantly correlated with their academic achievement. Also, the results of the linear regression analysis showed that EFL student teachers’ study habits led to their academic achievement. The findings of this study indicated that the correlation between study habits and academic achievement existed. In the context of learning English in a non-English speaking country like Indonesia, this study provides information for researchers and teacher educators to understand how the link between study habits and academic achievement is significantly correlated each other.