The Application Of Problem-Based Learning Method In The 2013 Curriculum On Teaching English Reading Text In Indonesia

Indonesian education is currently facing the 21st-century era.In this era,English teachers need to improve their teaching skills in order to prepare students to become global citizens and succeed in mastering higher-order thinking skills.To respond to these challenges,the Indonesian government,through the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture(IMoEC),had made a breakthrough that changed the curriculum and developed some teaching methods in Indonesian education levels,including senior high schools.Precisely on July 15th,2013(in academic years 2013/2014),IMoEC had officially launched the 2013 curriculum(K13)implementation.K13 defined as a curriculum that can answer the challenges of the 21st-century era.The characteristics of K13 encompassed some skills,including higher-order thinking skills(including critical thinking and problem solving),communication,collaborative,creativity,and innovation in the teaching process.Therefore,on teaching English reading text in K13,the English teachers should implement the Scientific Approach and three teaching methods to improve higher-order thinking skills.One of the three teaching methods was Problem-Based Learning(PBL).PBL method defined as a teaching method that can enhance students’ higher motivation,develop their higher-order thinking,their metacognition,and their self-regulated learning,all while making learning relevant to real-world or real-life situations.Its goal is pushed improving skills,including problem-solving,self-directed learning,teamwork,language,management,and learning-to-learn.Besides that,the teachers worked as facilitators,who provided several problems and assisted the whole process of solving the problem.Meanwhile,teachers did not justify giving answers to students.Moreover,the teachers required to be able to implement the five steps of PBL method and the five steps of SA sequentially and systematically in teaching English reading text.The five steps of SA were observing,questioning,experimenting,associating,and communicating/networking.The five steps of PBL method were engaging students in the problem,organizing/managing the students,guiding individual and group investigation,developing and presenting the students’ work result,and analyzing and evaluating the problem-solving process.According to IMoEC regulation(2014),the English teachers must teach nine types of functional English reading texts in senior high schools.However,In teaching these texts,the objectives learning of teaching English reading text were not only to ensure the students can understand the social function in the text,generic structure in the text and language feature in the text,but also,by implementing the steps of PBL method and SA,they can improve and develop students’ higher-order thinking skills in learning,particularly in learning English reading text.However,based on the prior observation,the researcher had found some problems faced by English teachers,especially on teaching English reading texts in K13.Such as,they still practice traditional teaching methods,they still focus on the grammar patterns that exist in reading text,and they still maintain teacher-centered learning-based and text-based teaching.Hence,the aims of this research were:(Ⅰ)to investigate the teachers’ implementation of PBL method in K13 on teaching English reading texts to senior high school students;(2)to predict the effects of PBL method implementation on senior high school students’ ability in understanding English reading text(3)to find out the teachers’ interpretation of PBL methods in K13 on teaching English reading texts to senior high school students;(4)to find out the factors that influence teachers’ implementation and interpretation of PBL methods in K13 on teaching English reading texts to senior high school students.In collecting data,this research design type was an explanatory sequential mixed method,in which the researchers collected,analyzed the results of quantitative data in the first phase,and then used the results to plan(or build on to)the second,qualitative phase.In the first phase,they were 60 English teachers and 300 students of 16 senior high schools as the participants,and used a questionnaire as an instrument.The data analyzed used the descriptive statistical method.The data analysis of the questionnaire was by converting the data to percentages,Pearson’s correlation,multiple regression,and this information represented as frequency distributions in table form.Furthermore,in the second phase,they were 9 English teachers of 3 senior high schools as the participants and used observational protocol and interview protocol as the instruments,and also observation,informal discussion after each observation,and document collection as the sources.The data analyzed used thematic analysis method.Moreover,the researcher had found the findings of this research as indicated in the following explanation.The first finding revealed that some of the English teacher implemented five steps of PBL method and Scientific Approach incorrectly and omitted one of two steps.They could not implement the PBL method based on their lesson plans.They could not integrate all of the steps while teaching English reading text in the classroom.Also,they felt not sure if they had proceeded the steps.Therefore,these findings concluded that the teachers had implemented PBL method in K13 on teaching English reading text to senior high school students,but they did not do it prospectively as suggested by PBL method guidelines.In the second finding,PBL method implementation is significantly affecting students’ ability in understanding English reading text.The third finding conveyed that the teacher had interpreted PBL method and SA using the traditional manner,low level,and narrow.Thus,the findings showed that the teacher’s interpretation of the PBL method in K13 on teaching English reading text was not comprehensively interpreted.The fourth finding,there were four main factors indicated that affect teachers’ implementation and interpretation of PBL method in K13 on teaching English reading text to their students.First,students’factors.It referred to students’ changing paradigms,students’ vocabulary,students’ interest,and students’ motivation,and students’ different English skills and different knowledge.Second,teachers’factors.It referred to teachers’ changing paradigm from ancient curriculum(KTSP)implementation to new curriculum(K13)implementation,their teaching practice in the classroom,their confusion,and their computer skills.Third,time allocation to implement PBL steps.Fourth,facilities and infrastructures.