an innovative approach

Activities
5.6) Principle VI: Encouraging Students to Participate in Learning
Students’ engaging in thinking what to do, inside and outside period,
rather than students’ passively listening to teachers was hoped by this research. The
students were expected to form a meaningful learning style of classroom studying.
What the teacher had done basing on this principle is described below.
5.6.1) Mrs. Engka’s Practices on Principle VI
Mrs. Engka appeared to use small group discussion for the large
number of students in her classroom. She challenged the students to make a decision
or answer question through small group discussion. The students would pair up with
someone sitting near them, verbally shared their answers and worked together to
create a final answer. Mrs. Engka randomly chose a few pairs to summarize answers.
Mrs. Engka appeared to develop the students’ perspective on
what learning belief values in studying science. The students were expected to have
better sense of what they needed to do and what they needed to learn in classroom.
She told that “I improved the launching strategy…, [because the students] were
unconvinced by classroom discussion…they were convinced of listening and taking
note rather than talking with me…” The students frequently asked her to give them a
lecture as usual, but in spite of that, she kept on answering them “the discussion
would help you lot better of learning...”
5.6.2) Students’ Participation
The students’ enthusiasm in participation was considered to
support implementing the teaching unit. Some examples of observation illustrated
that they continued to read the booklets and revise the concept map. They themselves
were willing to organize the group work to prepare learning materials and group
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