Background of the Study

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

In this chapter, the researcher presents the introduction of the research. It consists of two subchapters which are research background and research method. Research background presents background information and rationale of the study undertaken. It contains problems, the importance, and an overview of the study. Moreover, the research method presents the general procedures to enable the researcher to use the information for his or her future study. In this part there will be method, objective, and procedures which must be discussed further.

A. Background of the Study

Lickona, one of the leaders in the field of Character Education points that getting a good score is not the major purpose of education, but promoting the Character Education of the student is the significant matter Schwartz, 2007, p.157. She also says that the basic principle of the Character Education is avoiding the moral dilemma. Moral dilemma is a situation in which student should decide something without opposing their moral knowing, moral feeling, and moral behavior for examples: no-cheating at class, no-brawl, and politeness. Jacobs and Farrell 2001 agrees that this outlook had emerged in Indonesians students ’ behavior since many decades ago through paradigm shift in the education. Since the early 1980s, the term paradigm shift had been used as a means of thinking about a change in education. Moreover, in twentieth century, a 2 paradigm shifted across a wide variety of educational fields. They also agreed this paradigm shift can be seen as part of a larger shift from Positivism to Post- Positivism which created the education paradigm and influenced the student s’ behavior nowadays. Longtime ago, education was in the Positivism Paradigm that generated teacher as the center of the teaching and learning system. Then, the learning system just focused on the product that the student produced score, achievement, and rank. However, now the student shall live in the Post- Positivism Paradigm that students were given much freedom to take control the learning-system, and also students were guided to feel the process-oriented learning system rather than in product-oriented learning system as cited in Jacob and Farrell, 2001. This attitude had not changed yet because student still lived in the positivism paradigm. S tudents’ behavior has not changed because many students still struggle hard for getting good score in final national exam, standardized test, quiz, instead of involving themselves in the process of learning. People continuously tend to ask students about the quantity in educational matters such as asking the score, rank, period of graduation, rather than asking whether the students cheat in the exam. Moreover, parents also insist their child to be the best by approaching the highest grade in class or school, instead of checking, whether their children study hard and feel the process of the learning. This reason makes the educational quality decreasing since people continue to insist the quantity of education. It is also strengthened by Dardjowidjojo 2001 that Indonesian students are not ready with the huge changes in education due to the strong influences of paternalistic paradigm in their life many years ago as cited in PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI 3 Sahiruddin, 2013, p.572. For that reason, in order to support and increase the quality of education in Indonesia gradually, the government must regulate the system by doing a research in this part. The 2013 Curriculum is the latest curriculum in Indonesia which is defined by the educational government to support the quality of education system since July 15 th 2013. Within the 2013 Curriculum, the Minister of Education focuses in enhancing the quality of education through Character Education Kopertis, 2010. The Character Education firstly appeared by the end of the 18th century, was coined by a German pedagogue, F.W Foester USAID, 2013. It is considered very important in maintaining the quality of education nowadays. Licona 1999 defines Character Education as a concept to develop a moral consciousness which emerges from psychological, social learning and cognitive development frameworks to develop a student’s character as cited in Banninga Berkowitz, 2004, p.154. There are some characteristics or values in the 2013 Curriculum which are related to Character Education in which can build student’s personality. Curriculum Center Ministry of Education Minister of National Education, 2010 also states that in order to take further and strengthen the implementation of Character Education in Indonesia’s educational system, then it comprises 18 values of Character Education. The values are derived from: religion Pancasila national ideology, culture, and national education goals, namely: religiosity, honest, tolerance, discipline, hard work, creativity, independence, democracy, curiosity, sense of nationalism, patriotism, achievement orientation, 4 communicative, love and peace, fondness of reading, environmental awareness, social care, and responsibility as stated in Fahmy, Bachtiar, Rahim, Malik, 2015. The 18 values are designed apparently in the English textbook; therefore, those values can be integrated with the Character Education Amalia, 2014. Peskurbuk 2004 says by reflecting the 18 values of Character Education in the textbook, it helps the students are easily hoped be able to produce the way of thinking, attitude, and action which indicates to Pancasila, culture, and society even in small communities such as: friends, neighbors, school, and family. Character Education which is perceived by the Minister of Education, Anies Baswedan, hopefully will be realized to the students either in the learning-class situation, in learning-assessment, or in learning-media as cited in Amalia, 2014, p.1104. In this research, the researcher uses textbook as the main material in school. The textbook probably can be an excellent choice to commence the 2013 Curriculum regulation to many students and teachers. Broadly explained it is also needed by teacher to organize the learning system to be well-coordinated and varied. Textbook also helps teachers not to spend much of time selecting, adopting or even adapting English materials for students at class. Besides, students require textbook to convey the material through the sub chapters or the activities. It is also needed for the sake of the students to feel engaged with the materials as it is part of their life experience Sahiruddin, 2013, p.5. Thus, 2013 Curriculum Textbook is the concrete guidance for the students and teachers to comprehend the 2013 Curriculum and also Character Education. The emerged of PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI 5 textbook will potentially access students and teachers to the activity which may happen in classroom. Most of teacher often use textbook as a primary resource book for ideas and instructional activities as well as giving guides for what the teacher must do Rindawati, Ikhsanudin, Wardah, p.2. Thereby, in order to see the implementation of Character Education in 2013 Curriculum, the researcher uses textbook which had been composed directly by the Ministry of Education. It is for guaranteeing the basic concept of 2013 Curriculum which focuses on Character Education that has previously been explained. Fahmy et al 2015 find out that young generation is chosen to be an agent of change. It is start ed by the students’ character as the subject matter in 2013 Curriculum. Many schools have implemented the Character Education programs, yet they have not determinated the impact of this program to the young students or young generation p.851-852. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to evaluate the young generation through the Character Education starting from the lowest grade in Junior High School. This research uses seventh grade students because students in this age or grade have already passed their Primary School where students will experience their adolescence Khamdiyah, 2013, p.26-27. She also adds that starting of age thirteen, the adolescences have some changes in attitude, thought, feeling, and behavior pattern of the children. This period of life is essential as seventh grade kids transform and begin the transition period. It is the time when they find their identity, have the changeable emotion, and think more logically and critically. Nikuwati 2015 argues that seventh grade of Junior High School students may be so curious about many things around them 6 regardless of benefit and loss of their attitude p. 22. Hence, by integrating Character Education into each learning subject, it will protect the young generation especially seven grade students against the adverse environmental effect. In other words, there will be many factors which can affect the seventh grade students’ personality. Therefore, this study focuses on: How are the values of Character Education represented in the seventh grade student textbook? However, in writing this research needs limitation so that research will not widen overly. Thus, it only discusses and focuses about Character Education, that the theory is taken from Kemendiknas namely 18 Characteristics in National Character Education. Furthermore, the aim of this research is to evaluate the Character Education which is represented in the seventh grade textbook.

B. Research Method