Teacher Development Through Implementation of Thematic

Teaching Material in Project-Based Learning Setting on Primary

School

Effy Mulyasari, Andhin Dyas Fitriani and Harsa Wara Prabawa

Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Jl. Dr. Setiabudhi No. 229, Bandung, Indonesia

effy@upi.edu

Keywords: Thematic Teaching Materials, Project-Based Learning.

Abstract: Thematic learning is one of the effective learning models (highly effective teaching model). thematic learning

is a fun learning because it departs from the interests and needs of students, learning outcomes will last longer

because learning is more memorable and meaningful. However, there are some obstacles in its implementation

of thematic learning model. One of the problems is related to the teachers’ capability in teaching materials

and implementing teaching material in setting project based learning. Furthermore, the study was aimed to

investigate some issues that related with teachers’ development and teaching materials in setting project based

learning. The study involved two teachers and 30 students. Thus, experimental research was applied in the

study that started with the development of teaching materials for the students. The result of the study shows

that teachers’ development of thematic teaching materials is increased. Referring to the result, it also increases

students’ achievement in the teaching and learning process.

1 INTRODUCTION

The effectiveness of integrated thematic learning

model can be seen from its ability to accommodate

and integrally touch emotional, physical and

academic parts in the classroom or in school

environment. Empirically, this thematic learning

model has also been proved capable and successful to

trigger acceleration and increase long-term memory

capacity of learners (enhanced learning and long-term

memory capabilities of learners). The main premise

of thematic learning is that students need additional

opportunities to utilize their gifts and talents,

providing time with others to rapidly conceptualize

and synthesize a particular knowledge. On the other

hand, thematic learning is suitable to accommodate

qualitative differences regarding the learning

environment around students (Samsuri, 2013).

However, along with the development of the

learning process in primary schools, the

implementation of thematic learning encountered

several obstacles including: (1) The limited

knowledge and ability of teachers in teaching

according to the theme; (2) The available teaching

materials that still use the subject approach making it

difficult for teachers to integrate material according

to the theme; (3) Thematic teaching materials are still

national so that some of the materials are less

appropriate with the condition of student learning

environment; (4) Team teaching model is appropriate

for school conditions that apply the subject teacher

system. However, this model requires high

coordination and commitment for each teacher; (5)

Schedule using subjects makes it difficult for teachers

to integrate subjects flexibly; (6) The use of theme

schedules is more flexible in the delivery of thematic

learning, but requires careful planning in terms of the

weight of presentation between subjects (Fitriani et

al., 2014; Pudjiastuti, 2010; Sukini, 2012).

Based on this study, several important things that

become the basis of the implementation of this

coaching activities are matters relating to (1) the

limited knowledge and ability of teachers in teaching

according to the theme; (2) the available teaching

materials that still use the subject approach making it

difficult for teachers to integrate the material

according to the theme; (3) thematic materials that are

still national so that some of the materials are less

appropriate with the local conditions and student

learning environment; (4) schedules that based on

subjects make it difficult for teachers to integrate

subjects flexibly; And (5) the use of theme schedules

260

Mulyasari, E., Fitriani, A. and Prabawa, H.

Teacher Development Through Implementation of Thematic Teaching Material in Project-Based Learning Setting on Primary School.

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences (ICES 2017) - Volume 1, pages 260-263

ISBN: 978-989-758-314-8

is more flexible in the delivery of thematic lessons,

but requires careful planning in terms of weighting of

presentation between subjects.

In general, the identified issues from the results of

preliminary observation and discussion of problems

with teachers in target schools are related to the

process of adaptation of the new curriculum (in this

case is the 2013 curriculum) in classroom learning.

These problems can be grouped into several

categories including teacher creativity, student

independence and evaluation of process and learning

outcomes.

In the teacher's creativity point of view, some

expressed obstacles for example: (1) difficulty in

determining the Basic Competence in accordance

with the recommended theme; (2) In making the

lesson plan (RPP), teachers have difficulty in

determining activities that combine several subjects

in one theme; (3) In the thematic learning activities,

teachers have difficulty in developing teaching

materials to integrate several subjects in one theme;

(4) The learning process emphasizes the cognitive

aspect rather than the affective and psychomotor

aspects so that it is less intriguing to the students; (5)

Thematic teaching materials are still national so some

materials are less appropriate with the condition of

student learning environment

In terms of student independence, ideally thematic

learning is a fun learning because it departs from the

interests and needs of students, learning outcomes

will last longer because learning is more memorable

and meaningful. In addition, thematic learning ideally

can foster social skills, such as cooperation, tolerance,

communication, and responsiveness to other people's

ideas. But in its implementation, it is difficult to

develop students' independence in executing the

results of a thematic learning process, so in the

implementation, the teacher is encouraged to

intervene in the process by giving an explanation. As

the impact, the process of learning comes back on

teacher-dominated learning activities in constructing

student knowledge.

Meanwhile, the problems related to process

evaluation and learning outcomes are (1) Learning

trend is implemented using integrated thematic

approach but evaluation process is done in the form

of separate subjects. The unavailability of the

assessment guidelines that accommodate the

assessment pattern in integrated thematic learning is

why the evaluation is still relying on the pattern per

subject. (2) Teachers' tendency not to conduct process

assessments in organized learning, due to the

concentration of thematic instruction. (3) Many

teachers do not carry out final assessments because

they feel that the group assignments that have been

given to students in the form of LKS are final

assessments.

2 THEMATICS TEACHING

MATERIALS

The fundamental problem is the lack of teaching

materials that are thematic. Teaching materials can be

interpreted materials or learning materials are

prepared in a complete and systematic based on the

principles of learning used by teachers and students

in the learning process. The teaching materials are

systematic, unique and specific (Sungkono, 2009).

Meanwhile, the principles of developing teaching

materials, among others (PusKur, 2008): flexible and

adaptive, functional and meaningful, based on the

environment, educative, effective and efficient, and

alignment.

Thematic learning is an approach in learning a

process to link and integrate teaching materials in a

subject or inter subjects with all aspects of child

development, as well as the needs and demands of the

family's social environment (John, 2015). Another

definition of a thematic approach is the holistic

approach, which combines aspects of epistemology,

social, psychology, and pedagogic approaches to

educate children, that are connecting between brain

and body, between person and person, between

individuals and communities, and between

knowledge domains (Udin et al., 2006). The strengths

of thematic learning materials are (1) these learning

materials are based on the use of meaningful topics

for social life; (2) students are given the opportunity

to give input to the process and learning materials; (3)

possible variations of activities, not just learning to

read and write; And (4) students can see and reflect

on, and discuss the various problems of life they

experience (Sujarwo, 2008). Preparation of teaching

materials is an effort to formulate or design the

materials and tools that will be presented in the

learning process based on predefined themes.

3 PROJECT BASED LEARNING

One of the approaches that is applied is Project Based

Learning. Project Based Learning is an innovative

learning approach, which emphasizes contextual

learning through complex activities (Kamdi, 2008).

The projects here are complex, based on question or

challenging tasks, involving students actively starting

Teacher Development Through Implementation of Thematic Teaching Material in Project-Based Learning Setting on Primary School

261

from the project planning stage, up to the project

evaluation stage. A project in Project Based Learning

focuses on questions or problems, which encourage

students to undergo (by hard work) the core concepts

and principles of discipline or learning materials

(Kamdi, 2008).

Project Based Learning focuses on the key

concepts and principles of a discipline, engages

students in problem-solving activities and other

meaningful assignments, provides students with

opportunities to study at a given time, and finishes in

products that are valuable, realistic and can be

presented (Rais, 2010). As a model of learning,

Project Based Learning has several principles as

follows (Wena, 2012; Blumenfeld et al., 1991;

Bereiter and Scardamalia, 1999; Dryden and Vos,

2001): Autonomy Principles, Centrality Principles,

Driving Question Principles, Constructive

Investigation Principles, Realistic Principles

(Realism).

4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This study used paired t-test and Analysis Tools menu

on the Microsoft Excel 2010. The result showed that

significance (α) 0.05 (see Table I). Moreover,

students’ average scores pre-treatment is lower than

post-treatment. The calculation by using normalized

gain Hake (1999) shows that the highest average

comes from the students in the high group, which is

0.84 (the high category). Meanwhile, the middle

group and below group are in the score of 0.64 and

0.61 which belong to the middle categories.

According to the Table I, it could be stated that the

changes of thematic teaching materials in setting

project based learning give positive feedback towards

the students’ improvement to the learning material.

Table 1: The comparison between before and after

treatment.

Variable 1

Variable 2

Mean

37.4673219

52,6741902

Variance

185.753081

98.590283

Observations

t Stat

8.554080

P(T<=t) one-tail

1.0538E-13

t Critical one-tail

1.08467032

P(T<=t) two-tail

2.29630E-13

t Critical two-tail

2.0009824

t-Test: Paired Two Sample for Means

Furthermore, the findings show that teachers’

development helps them to select the most suitable

learning content, project, process, product, and

environment. The teachers applied project based

learning method to relate some topical themes with

some object in students’ daily life. Thematic teaching

materials can facilitate students in learning concept

and facilitate students in learning. However, even

though still difficulties in the preparation of the

project, but the teachers showed improvement in the

ability to arrange teaching materials. It is also evident

from the student increased abilities after applying the

lessons using project based thematic materials.

5 CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE

WORK

This study shows that project based learning gives

positive impact in the teachers’ development and

ability towards some thematic teaching materials. The

teachers’ development towards thematic content

knowledge will influence the improvement of the

teaching and learning quality in the classroom.

Through thematic materials in the project based

learning, students understanding increasing, because

through the project and thematic makes it easier for

students to understand a concept. Thematic learning

can be developed with the characteristic of each

region.

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