Systematic Teacher Training Urgently Needed

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JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Providing systematic and continuous teacher training with routine evaluation is the key for teachers to understand and develop higher-thinking-based learning. All relevant parties must also synchronize education policies and practices so that each individual is committed to no longer using the memorization standard.

Higher order thinking skills (HOTS) cannot be conveyed theoretically. Learning must improve the ability of students to think in a high-level way and think critically so as to be able to resolve, negotiate and compare a problem, thereby creating a solution to the problem.

"Teachers cannot only be demanded to be independently creative in implementing HOTS-based learning in classes. They must get quality training from the government," said deputy secretary-general of the Federation of Indonesian Teachers\' Unions Satriwan Salim in Jakarta on Friday (3/5/2019).

Separately, Paryati, a teacher of SD Semaken state elementary school, Kulon Progo regency, and Warsiti, a teacher of SD Percobaan Pakem, Sleman regency, Yogyakarta, hopes there will be regular training and evaluation for teachers so that they can properly understand HOTS-based learning. Training for teachers has not been routinely held and has not been evenly provided to all teachers.

"The training will only be held once or twice a year. There are a lot of materials, but they are only limited to points. After that, a lot of materials will be distributed to the teachers and they will be asked to study on their own," said Paryati.

Based on data from the Education and Culture Ministry, of the 3.1 million teachers, only 1.6 million of them have attended competency improvement education and training.

Integrated

Besides routine training for teachers, according to rector of Sebelas Maret State University, Ravik Karsidi, government intervention is needed to strengthen teacher competencies in implementing HOTS-based learning. This intervention can be done by improving the curriculum at the Teachers Education Institution (LPTK), which currently does not include HOTS-based teaching skills.

"So, this intervention needs to be carried out in an integrated way between the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry in the LPTK and the Education and Culture Ministry in providing teacher training," he said.

In addition to teachers, said Satriawan, school principals, supervisors and school accreditation assessors must also understand HOTS-based learning. A number of teachers already know about learning to develop reasoning, but they are still not convinced about applying it if the elements above the teachers, such as school principals, supervisors, and assessors, do not have one vision.

"When they see the teachers who teach not using the material and methods listed in the learning manual, they will be reprimanded. Several assessors do not yet have the perception about HOTS so that they even consider this method wrong," he said.

The head of the Smart Learning and Characteristic Center of the Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI SLCC), Richardus Eko Indrajit, said that PGRI SLCC has developed training on cyber pedagogy for teachers. Teachers are trained to use and utilize the internet and social media. "The existence of internet and social media is beneficial to bring together sources of information and reading materials," he said.

According to the education sociologist at Yogyakarta State University, Sugeng Bayu Wahyono, building reasoning is not just a part of formal schooling. All nations are actively involved in ensuring that reasoning is truly used in all aspects. (DNE/TAN/DIA/IKA)

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