PIRLS 2006 Encyclopedia

For grades 1–3 of elementary school, Bahasa Indonesia instruction uses a languageacross the curriculum approach. Beginning in the fourth grade, reading becomes part ofinstruction in Bahasa Indonesia and uses a contextual teaching and learning approach.Instructional TimeReading instruction is an interactive process between students and the teacher. Each classis considered a study hour unit, which lasts 35 minutes. There are 26 to 32 study hours perweek in primary school, depending on the grade. Students in each grade are in school for34 to 38 weeks. Therefore, each school year includes a range of 884 to 1216 study hours,which is equivalent to 516 to 709 hours per year devoted to instruction. Please see thetable below for more information.PIRLS 2006 EncyclopediaTable 1Details of Class AttendanceUnit of EducationElementary SchoolClassOne StudyHour(Minutes)Total StudyHoursper WeekWeeksper YearStudyHoursper YearTotal Hoursof Instructionper Year1 to 3 35 26–28 34–38 884–1064 516–6214 to 6 35 32 34–38 1088–1216 635–709Instructional MaterialsInstructional materials are used to enrich and explain the curriculum. Since BahasaIndonesia includes the components of linguistic ability, the aspects of Bahasa Indonesiaare listening, speaking, reading, and writing. To develop these skills, resourcessuch as telephone guidebooks, fictional texts, nonfiction texts, and poetry are usedin reading instruction. The Ministry of Education chooses the textbooks used inreading instruction.Use of TechnologySome schools are well equipped with computer laboratories that have Internet access.The Ministry of Education is working to provide these facilities in all schools.Role of Reading SpecialistsIndonesia is in the process of having teachers obtain teaching licenses or certificates.Second-language InstructionIn international schools, Bahasa Indonesia is taught as a second language. In Islamicschools, Arabic is taught as a second language. For schools that are located in urban orsuburban areas, each school has its own second-language instruction based on their locallanguage, since few students speak Bahasa Indonesia as their mother tongue.Effective PracticesThe practices that are used to help students within each grade develop Indonesianlanguage skills begin with reading aloud with correct intonation. Spelling also isemphasized. Next, students are expected to draw a conclusion from a short text or poem.IndonesiaTIMSS & PIRLSInternational Study CenterLynch School of Education, Boston College 189