INNOVATION IN EDUCATION

INGGY YULIANI PRIBADY 0805980(15th OCTOBER 2008) I. INTRODUCTION The word innovation, according to the Oxford Dictionary, means the introduction of novelties, the alteration of what is established, a novel practice anda change in established methods. Generally, in the field of education to innovate isto create something new which markedly deviates from traditional practices whichhave been followed since a long time to impart education at different levels.(Chauhan 1979: v) Innovation is necessary in education because we are now in the middle of a big change of a new era. The changes involve all of the life aspects towards a new era which called globalization era. Indonesia as a big nation should has a positive role in the globalization. We have to prepare ourselves to face it to be able to compete with the other countries and not left behind. Preparing human resources through the mending of our educational system is one of the solutions to face the globalization. We are aware that our education quality is far behind the other countries. Now, lets see our closest neighbor,Malaysia and Singapore, our closest neighbor, in 70s and 80s we used to send our teachers to Malaysia to assist their education. How about now? Malaysia and Singapore are running at top speed and left us far behind, their universities are on the worlds Top 200 universities list. National University of Singapore ( 18th) ,Nanyang University ( 50th), Malaya University ( 89th),and Sains Malaya University ( 111th) ( Alwasilah 2008:38 ). The big question is: Can we catch them up? I think innovation in our educational system is the answer. In this essay, I would like to explain about the importance of educational innovation towards the globalization era and the challenges, innovation in English language teaching in Indonesia, the curriculums and the role of vocational school to reduce unemployment. II.EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION , GLOBALIZATION AND 21
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CENTURY CHALLENGES

In 21 century we face the new era called globalization. Globalization refers to the trend toward countries joining together economically, through education,society and politics, and viewing themselves not only through their national identity but also as part of the world as a whole. Globalization is said to bring people of all nations closer together, especially through a common medium like the economy or the Internet. (http://en.wikipedia.org.wiki/globalization, accessed August 2008). Globalization is expected to generate intensified competition among nations, particularly in the fields of economics, science and technology. In addition, the massive and extensive globalization process affects the changes of economic,political and social conditions. The structural shift of the economy generates new trends and challenges which in turn affect the education system. Therefore, there are needs to adapt education to the industrial needs of the community, as well as improve science and technology to reach competitive excellence. Many countries are engaged in education reform in order to develop the human resources necessary to remain competitive in the international market place.One keyword in many of these reforms is innovation. However, innovation in education appears to have multiple meanings. Sometimes, it refers to the need for education to develop innovative people. Sometimes, it refers to new products, processes and business concepts within education itself.The issues of innovation in education involve complex and multi-faceted challenges such as education policies, curriculum reforms, new diversity-oriented learning technologies and methods. Moreover, the challenges faced may differ from school to school in each country, and from country to country. Therefore, the challenges will have to take into account the specific nature of the education innovation in question, the context it is located, the teacher and student profile, the historical background of the country or region, local habits, needs and practices,ethics and even religious beliefs. (http://www.inderscience.com, accessedSeptember 2008 ) In Indonesia the aim of education is to keep and maintain Indonesias cultural background and, on the other, to generate the knowledge, skills and scientificprogress that will keep the nation abreast in the twentyfirst century. Nationaleducation should improve the life of the nation and develop the Indonesian people fully i.e. intellectually, morally, spiritually, physically and socially.(http://www.englishunesco.htm, accessed September 2008)

Indonesian government has conducted a lot of efforts in increasing the qualityof education. Despite enormous progress, particularly in the areas of primary school enrolment and illiteracy eradication, much remains to be done. Major challenges are identified as the expansion of compulsory basic education from six to nine years,the improvement of the quality of primary and secondary education, and enhancing learning achievements for all levels. Indonesias commitment to the further development of education is based on the recognition that development goes hand in hand with advancement in science and technology. The government is also making efforts in expanding educational opportunities at the basic, vocational, and professional levels through school and out-of-school channels.(http://www.englishunesco.htm, accessed September 2008) Indonesian government commitment in reforming the educational quality should be emphasized. Our educational quality is still far behind the other countries. The government is busy with the other complicated problems, such as: political dispute, corruption, bribery, ethnic riot and economical problems. We have to beaware that education is the main factor in building a nation. By increasing educational quality in a country, the states economy of developed by it self because it has high quality of human resource. Additionally, education can increase growth by increasing the likelihood of innovation and technological change in an economy. Therefore the education innovation is a crucial agenda which has to be done to face the globalization st and 21 century rising demand for educated labour. III.INNOVATION IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING IN INDONESIA Teachers as a consumer of innovation have a power in educational innovation. Teachers make decisions whether they will implement the innovation or not and the degree to which they will use it. (House 1974:67) Therefore teachers play an important role in conducting innovations in education to improve its quality.The quality of education is most affected by the teachers instruction in the classroom. Thus, teachers should think creatively to change the strategy of instruction and make the efforts to introduce new methods and evolve new techniques of instruction suiting to our national needs.(Chauhan 1979: vii) To meet the demands of innovations in language teaching, Indonesian government keeps trying to find the most suitable approach in teaching andlearning in English as foreign language. Some references of the teaching and learning approach in English as foreign language are Grammar Translation Methodor GTM created by, Direct Method or DM created by, Audio-Lingual Method createdby, Humanistic Approach or Suggestopedia created by, Silent Way created by,Community Language Learning or CLL created by, Natural Approach created by, Total Physical Response or TPR created by, Communicative Language Learning or CLT created by, etc. Being referenced by some teaching approaches above, most of Indonesian English teacher can be assumed only use Grammar Translation Method in their teaching process in English as foreign language. It can be recognized from the Indonesian teaching and learning curriculum in English as foreign language which is still mainly focused on reading and writing literary including the study of grammatical rules and vocabulary; the teaching and learning activities, like memorizing the vocabulary lists is still being used; the accomplishment which is by giving task, writing, or fills in the blank, is also used in evaluating students English ability, etc. although the Indonesian government has changed teaching and learning approach many times. It seems Grammar Translation Method is mostly used by Indonesian teacher in teaching and learning process in English as foreign language because it is the simplest and common ways in teaching English as foreign language to students. I believe that Indonesian teaching and learning process in English as foreign language is better not to use only one approach in its process. It means that English teacher needs to mix the suitable characteristics of approaches, like: Grammar Translation Method, Direct Method, Audio-Lingual Method, Humanistic Approach or Suggestopedia, Silent Way, Community Language Learning, Natural Approach, Total Physical Response, Communicative Language Learning, etc. with Indonesian teaching and learning condition in order to reach a good and efficient result. From Grammar Translation Method, a method of teaching and learning English as foreign language which is mainly focused on reading and writing literary can be adopted either in English courses, private schools, and even state schools in Indonesia. Those above characteristics of this method, such as: activity of memorizing the vocabulary lists; the accomplishment by giving task, writing, or fillsin the blank, which is also used in evaluating students English as foreign language ability, etc. still can be adopted because it is in line with parts of government graduation examination which is still fulfilled with reading text and writing.

For Direct Method, a method of teaching and learning in English as foreign language which is tried to use English communicatively and focused on Reading, can also be adopted either in English courses, private schools, and even state school in Indonesian. In this method, the characteristics which can be adopted arethe efforts to make students to speak in English. For students, it can be as reading aloud the English text, using English when asking to teacher or to friends, etc. Forteacher, the activity in correcting the pronunciation and grammar use is also good to be applied. For Audio-Lingual Method, a method of teaching and learning in English asforeign language which is focused on using English in repetitive situation is mostlyfull adopted in Indonesian teaching and learning process in English as foreign language. The characteristics in asking the students to drill and practice dialogueare done to promote a condition so the students have English habits which is believed can encourage them in using English in oral and in written. For Humanistic or Suggestopedia approach, a method of teaching and learning in English as foreign language which is focused on speaking English foreveryday communication, is also good to be adopted in either English courses orprivate school in Indonesia. The teaching activities, such as: playing music beforethe class is started can make students relax and refreshing their mind and theteachers action in explaining material can give a good way, facilitating comfortablelearning equipment so that students love to stay in the classroom, etc For Silent way, a method of teaching and learning in English as foreignlanguage which is focused on communicative skills can only be adopted especially at English courses and sometimes at state school in Indonesia. In this approach, the English teachers do not explain the learning material as much as possible. They just show the context and giving example of the learning material. It is done in order to make students be more active as autonomous learner. So, students can learn bypractice, discover, and solve the learning material by them selves. The students also can have interaction with the other students because there is activity to correctthe students answer by the other students. Community Language Learning, a method of teaching and learning in English as foreign language which is focused on speaking ability in English, can also be adopted its characteristics. The characteristic which can be adopted is the understanding of teacher to the students condition which can improve the confidence of students and give motivation to student in speaking English and teachers help when student did not know the English word when they speak English. For Total Physical Response, a method of teaching and learning in English as foreign language which is focused on Listening and Speaking comprehension also has some teaching and learning characteristic which can be adopted to enrich the teaching and learning activities in English as foreign language in Indonesia. For Communicative Language Teaching, a method of teaching and learning inEnglish as foreign language which is focused on communicative competence, has also positivistic to be applied in Indonesia. Their characteristics in making English as communicative as possible, in practice can encourage student learn English as if they are in the countries where English is their mother tongue because the students learn about English deeply. The students are focused to learn about the English use for communication, like encourage the students desire to communicate in English, learning the variety of English so they will not feel bored when learning, etc. IV.THE CURRICULUMS A. ACADEMIC CURRICULUM The curriculum is defined as a set of plans and arrangements of content, learning materials and methods used as guidelines for the teaching-learning activities. It is designed to achieve the goal of national education taking into account the stages of children's development as well as the local environments, in accordance with the type and level of each educational institution.There are several curriculums which have been conducted in Indonesia. Since 2006, we also use a contextual learning approach in our teaching and learning process. Constructionist learning is inspired by constructivist theories of learning that propose that learning is an active process wherein learners are actively constructing mental models and theories of the world around them.Constructionism holds that learning can happen most effectively when people are actively making things in the real world. Constructionism is connected with experiential learning and builds on some of the ideas of

Jean Piaget.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/constructionist, accessed August 2008 ). Contextual learning can create an innovative, observer, critical,creative, and independent students through its seven components constructivism, questioning, inquiry, reflection, learning community, modeling and authentic assessment. B.HUMANISTIC CURRICULUM Humanistic curriculum is a curriculum which provides a way of life centered upon human interests and value. The aim of humanistic education isto change a person into a free individual and a good citizen. To be a good citizen requires a new dimension of understanding the relationship between the individual and the world. Hence a free individual is located back into hisconcrete life world in order to become a good citizen. Good citizenship implies a moral responsibility of the person to his society and other fellow citizens. C.SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTION CURRICULUM Social reconstruction involves active participation through doing. However this is not mindless drill, skill development, or even the completion of personally chosen project, because the progressive clearly intended a social purpose to all activity. They viewed the school as a community in which value and habits useful in the greater community would be instilled through practice. (http://scholar.lib.ut.edu, accessed September 2008 ) D.TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM Technology involves knowing and doing. Learning and teaching approaches should address both of these areas. Technology is derived from a variety of knowledge bases, values, processes, and skills. These are used both to create and to evaluate designs, products, systems, and environments critically. There should be flexible, open, collaborative approaches to classroom teaching which accommodate all students' perspectives, interests,aspirations, and learning styles. Teachers will often work collaboratively to plan and deliver the curriculum. In particular, teachers with special knowledge and skills indifferent and existing disciplines will have important roles in working with their colleagues to achieve the successful implementation of a school's technology curriculum. This technology curriculum will need teachers whocan contribute expertise in using a wide range of materials; in food technology and processing; in information and communication, such as keyboarding, computing, and language; in electronic, mechanical and biotechnologies; and in drawing and graphics. (http://www.tki.org.nz,accessed September 2008 ) V. VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO REDUCE UNEMPLOYMENT Indonesia currently is a high unemployment economy. About 10 percent of the 110 million labor force is unemployed. Annual economic growth of 6 percent is too low to absorb the annual increase in the labor force, adding 300,000 to 500,000 to the total unemployed each year. International Labor Organization data shows the number of unemployed between 15 and 24 years old has grown from 1.4 million in 1990 to 6.9 million in 2006. Only 31 percent of Indonesians in this age group have jobs. This means 69 percent youth unemployment. Economists and business people say the main problem is not low job vacancies but the low quality of human resources. This is shown by the large number of unskilled high school graduates and drop-outs, aged from 18 to 35,among the 11 million unemployed. (http://www.thejakartapost.com, accessed September 2008 ) Vocational schools and training produce ready-for-jobs graduates and trainees to fill in job opportunities at home and overseas. It's proven that graduates from vocational schools have been finding jobs more easily compared to those from high schools. Vocational school has become the main supplier of workers to industry. VI. CONCLUSION The notion of globalization and the fact that we are now in the 21 century have awaken many Indonesian educators to the need of producing school graduates with skills that can be applied in the borderless world.Globalization demands the qualified human resources to be able to compete with the other countries. Hence the improvement of education quality should be done through several innovations breakthrough. Education should be related to industry and the business world starting from planning, implementation, assessment, and certification of educationand vocational training relevant to economic needs. The objective of the policy is to create a situation where graduates are responsive to the number,quality and dissemination needs for skilled work force and expertise. It requires the expansion and improvement of technical and vocational education for the production of skilled and flexible human resources who master technology.
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Sunday April 29, 2012

Need to change educational culture

(Source: http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2012/4/29/education/11159825) OPINION By ASSOC PROF DR WILLIAM K. LIM If Malaysia is to compete in an innovation-led economy, we need to have a system where students learn to think independently while teachers provide the necessary support. OVER the last two years, the Education Ministry has been busy adapting the national education system to current needs, such as abolishing the Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) and a soft landing for the discontinuation of the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English. After over five decades, it is now embarking on a total review of the system, and with it, the chance to resolve the most pressing problem: our exam-centred educational culture. In imperial China, the passing of imperial exams enabled ones family to rise in social prestige. Modern Asian parents now view a university degree as the sign of good parenting, and will do anything to ensure their children pass every exam leading to that goal. Hence the goal of schooling is to attain the highest grades. Students buy compilations of past exam questions with model answers to memorise before exams. From young, they spend most of their spare time doing homework or attending one tuition class after another. Teachers help to predict exam questions and provide practice drills. Exam grades are used to label a child as either clever or stupid, or a school as either good or bad. While Chinas best minds were mugging for exams, Western intellectuals asked questions about natural phenomena and made discoveries leading to technological advancement. The Western educational culture is based on the Socratic tradition of dialectic and critical questioning. In Western classrooms, teachers regularly dialogue with the students, who freely express their ideas and opinions. Even the views of the academically weaker students are valued. Unlike us, their top exam scorers are not publicised in the newspapers like national heroes. Some Asian nations claim to offer world class education because they regularly beat the United States (US) in tests such as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. However, when it comes to Nobel prizes, these countries are nowhere near the US. Research and publications have increased in Asia in line with economic growth, but the dearth of high impact research can be seen from the fact that there is no Asian nation among the top 20 countries ranked by the average number of citations per published paper. Many Malaysians take up Singapores Asean Scholarship expecting to experience high quality education. The reality is they are in for an even higher level of exam-centredness than here. Increasing numbers of Singaporeans are sending their children to international schools or migrating to the West to enjoy education that is not grades-obsessed. If Malaysia is to compete in an innovation-led economy, our educational culture will have to be drastically changed as we need to think out of the box. The ancient Chinese learning tradition is one where the teacher imparts information directly to the learner who receives the teaching passively in quiet deference. Globally, education is shifting from this teacher-centred approach towards a student-centred paradigm where students learn independently while teachers provide support. This is needed now because what we teach will soon be outdated, so students must know how to actively find information and apply it to their situation. Hence we need to be teaching the sciences using inductive methods such as problem-based, enquiry-based and discovery learning. Active learning methods

Next, we need approaches that increases student motivation and information retention. Language teachers should make liberal use of active learning methods like debates and role plays. Experiential learning is facilitated by lab work or field trips where knowledge is acquired by seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching. Authentic learning can take place by bringing the Mathematics class for an outing to the supermarket. Teachers should be asking students open-ended questions and encouraging them to think up and share ideas. Students should have a wide range of subjects to choose from, without the restriction of arts-science class distinction. Last, our assessment methods must change. National standardised public exams must be kept at a minimum to discourage exam-centric learning and tuition culture. There should be less questions testing simple factual recall, which promote rote learning of superficial knowledge. Instead, questions that require justification of answer or problem solving help to foster higher order thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis and application. Students should be given projects where they are graded for original thought, collaborative work and presentation skills. These are the abilities needed in the k-economy where wealth is generated by creating new knowledge, not regurgitating old knowledge. Peculiar to our country is the frequent report that more non-Chinese are attending Chinese schools because of better discipline and use of Mandarin. Traditional Chinese education is teacher-centred, with the cane being used to force compliance. However, the need now is not greater conformity, but creativity. Asia is still better known for imitation than innovation. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said that China has failed to foster enough outstanding talents to meet the needs of the nation. He has headed education reform to address the issue of fostering creative and outstanding talents in China to support Chinas intention to transform its economy from one built on cheap labour and cheap resources into one built on innovation. When the ministry implemented the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English in 2003 (better known by its Malay acronym PPSMI), many parents with children in Chinese primary schools were pleased with the increased exposure to the English language. However, many schools ended up teaching in both Mandarin and English, not because those subjects were best taught in Mandarin, but because their teachers were mostly incompetent in English. One of the consequences of having national and vernacular schools is the sustained national decline in English proficiency. The affluent and well connected resolve this problem by sending their children overseas or enrolling them here in private and international schools. We cannot have an education system where national schools are perceived as a substandard option for the underprivileged. To have a national education system accepted by all communities, we need a single public school system where the English language curriculum is at par with those in English-speaking Western countries, with Malay as a compulsory-pass language, and both Tamil and Mandarin as optional subjects. Initially, English can be offered at both a lower basic level, and a higher level incorporating English Literature. At the lower level, it will be a must-pass subject, but students can opt for the higher level on passing a qualifying test. If English-medium schools are reintroduced as an option (via a referendum or otherwise), only Malay would need to be a must-pass subject. When the ministrys current nationwide dialogue is over, they should hold roadshows to inform Malaysian parents of the educational culture their children need in the 21st century. The most important role of the Education Minisry in this education review is not to please as many parties as possible, but to design an education system that equips Malaysian children for new global realities. If they get it right, we are headed for a great future. The writer is from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kuching. He can be reached at [email protected]