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2. Principles of Quantum Learning
Based on DePorter, Readon, and Singer-Nourice 1999, there are five principles tenets in Quantum Learning. The first is Everything Speaks;
everything, from surroundings and tone of voice to distribution of materials, conveys an important message about learning. The second is Everything is On
Purpose; everything we do has an intended purpose. The third is Experience before Label; students make meaning and transfer new content into long-term
memory by connecting to existing schema. Learning is best facilitated when students experience the information in some aspects before they acquire the labels
for what are being learned. The fourth is Acknowledge Every Effort; a
cknowledgment of each student‟s effort encourages learning and experimentation. The fifth is
If it’s Worth Learning, it’s Worth Celebrating; celebration provides feedback regarding progress and increases positive emotional
associations with the learning DePorter, Readon, and Singer-Nourice, 1999. DePorter, Readon, and Singer-Nourice 1999 also mention some
assumptions beliefs of Quantum Learning as formulated below: 1.
Learning is dual-planned or preconscious - we learn through both our conscious and subconscious mind-. Suggestion is a powerful technique for
tapping into the normally unused “reserves of the mind” to help the student learn faster and easier.
2. Everything makes a suggestion, either consciously or subconsciously. A
student may be consciously listen to the teacher; subconsciously, his mind is aware of peripherals, the teacher‟s mood, tone and noises in the room.
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3. There is no single stimulus. The very first way we receive, or rather, perceive
information is in a context. 4.
Everything is constantly being processed, including symbols, rituals and associations.
5. There is no neutral: only positive or negative. Teachers need to make a
concerted effort to create as many “positives” as possible, paying careful attention to creating a comfortable, safe and fun learning environment.
The Quantum Learning designs a frame that drives the presentation and facilitation of content. The frame was formulated from many years of research on
the effective delivery methods and a structural frame which content is designed to ensure student
s‟ mastery. In the implementation of Quantum Learning, there are some steps to do. Those steps as a learning cycle are aligned with some elements
by Lozanov 1982. The first element which is aligned with the learning cycle is Enroll. Enroll
is the use of the teacher ‟s moves that capture the interest, curiosity and attention
of the students. The second is Experience, which is used to create or to elicit a common experience, or tap into a common knowledge to which all learners can
relate. The third is Experience before Label that creates schema on which to build new content. The fourth is Learn Label, which is the present, sequence and
defines the main content. Students learn labels, thinking skills and academic strategies. Students add new content to their existing schema. Next is
Demonstrate, it is used to give students an opportunity to demonstrate and to apply their new learning. Then, the Review and Reflect, which uses a variety of
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effective, multi-sensory review strategies and empower students to process their new content through reflection. The last is Celebration, which is used to
acknowledge the learning. It cements the content and adds a sense of completion Lozanov, 1982.
Quantum Learning creates a supportive physical environment that enhances and reinforces learning. Ideal learning environments include proper
lighting, purposeful color, positive affirmation posters, plants, props and music. These elements are easy to include in one‟s classroom, and students enjoy
learning more in a comfortable setting Meier, 2000. The key is to create empowering school environments that build engaging and dynamic communities
of learning. The results of using Quantum Learning are enhanced teach er‟s
capacity and increased student achievement. The seven elements that are aligned with learning cycle by Lozanov are
strengthened by DePorter, Readon, and Singer-Nourice 1999 that Quantum Learning must include some basic principles, teachers are the single most
important factor, teachers must model and be congruent with the expected learning of the student, prestige of the teacher and method are important-learning
is enhanced when the student has a positive belief in the teacher, beliefs in general are a crucial factor, teachers must believe in the virtually limitless capacity of the
human being. T he “reserves” of the mind are unlimited; therefore, the “reserves”
always give people more than they can do and act as if they can do it easily, freedom of the individual must be preserved at all times. There is need for ritual
so learners come to expect what will be happening, so that the learning will be
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more effective in physically and mentally stress-free environment-all learning should be relaxed and tension free.
In rather different formulation, Meier 2000 lists the eight keys of excellence spotlight characteristics that help promote the Quantum Learning as
the following: learning to align personal values to behavior to produce integrity, learning to succeed by turning failure into success, learning to communicate in a
positive, direct, responsible manner, learning to focus on the task at hand, learning to follow and keeping
true to one‟s vision, learning to take ownership, learning to be flexible by changing plans that do not work to plans that do, and learning to
keep personal balance through adjustments in thoughts, feelings, and behavior By analyzing those principles, it can be inferred that as general approach,
Quantum Learning is an integrated school model designed to initiate change, enhance teacher capacity, and increase student achievement. The primary goal of
the model is to create school‟s environments that are engaging and dynamic. Components of the model focus on a leadership, researched-based teaching
methods, cognitive psychology, learning and life skills, parent and community involvement, and school improvement through evaluation. The model seeks to
make content more meaningful and relevant to students for lives Douglas, 2002. DePorter, Readon, and Singer-Nourice 1999 list some core elements in
Quantum Learning to be successful. The first is the Physical Environment. Every effort is made to create a comfortable learning environment. Lighting,
temperature, color, plants and decor are taken into careful consideration. Seating arrangements are open and flexible. Second is Music. By using an appropriate and
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effective music, the learning environment will be enhanced. Baroque music helps students relax and focus. Upbeat music energizes students. Third is Peripherals.
Peripherals are posters and visuals that reinforce lessons. The information, or suggestion, contained in the peripherals is taken in by the subconscious mind
while the student is consciously focused on the teacher or an activity. Fourth is Teacher. The teacher must establish credibility with the students and be well
trained in implementing the concept of Accelerated Learning. Tonality of speech pitchton
etempoloudnesssoftness is a technique used to capture the students‟ attention and emphasize key points DePorter, Readon, and Singer-Nourice,
1999. The fifth core element is Atmosphere. Emotional safety is established and
the tone is friendly and joyful. Positive emotions influence the learning process and enhance the retention. Careful language emphasizes the positive statements
and avoids the negative statements. The teacher builds strong rapport and relationships with the students. Sixth is Arts. The teacher uses props such as
puppets, costumes, hats and artifacts to illustrate lessons. Dramatics, including role-playing and storytelling, make lessons come alive. Seventh is Concerts.
These elements are used in classic suggestopedic classrooms. Accompanied by selected music, the teacher dramatically reads a story imbedded with information
and main points from the lesson and students joint it actively or passively. Using the proper voice tonality is a crucial part of effectively telling the story. The last
core element is Teaching Frame. The teaching frame is the element that brings all of the core elements together into a harmonious flow. A strong frame gives the
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content structure, effectively taking students through a successful learning cycle DePorter, Readon, and Singer-Nourice, 1999.
For more detail, Lozanov 1982 refers to the original process in Quantum Learning that includes three phases. The first phase is Prepare; it begins the class
by preparing the students for learning. In this phase, teachers plant early suggestions, including the ease of learning the material and an overview of
content. The teacher can also create a global picture and make connections with prior learning. The second phase is Active; in this phase, the students to be given
an experience of the learning. Create total learner involvement. This includes active concerts, hands-on activities, and demonstrations and debrief. The third
phase is Passive; the lesson continues with reflection and review. In this phase, the passive concerts and other review activities can be followed by an appropriate
closing celebration of the learning. In Quantum Learning, the material covers at least five intelligences from
the nine multiple intelligences and their characteristics prominent ability by Gardner 2006. The first intelligence is Linguistics intelligence. This intelligence
uses the understanding of something in a sequence, understanding word meaning, telling a story, debating, remembering, memorizing, giving speech, making poem,
linguistic analyzing, writing, speaking, and playing a role-play. The second is Logical-mathematical intelligence. People with this intelligence think logically,
rationally, categorically, abstractly, thinking inductively and deductively, thinking scientifically and solve the problem easily. The third is Spatial-visual intelligence.
People with this intelligence recognizing things in a space correctly, having the
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right perception from different point of view, graphic representation, picture manipulating, drawing, active imagination, responsive to color, line, and shape
Gardner, 2006. The fourth intelligence is Body-kinesthetic intelligence. People with this
intelligence express something using their body, relate main and body, have the ability in facial expression, play role-play, sport, dancing, and have high body
coordination and flexibility. The fifth is Musical intelligence. This intelligence is using the people‟s sound and music sensitivity, knowing musical structure well,
creating melody, sensitive to intonation and rhythmic, singing, creating music, and playing music instrument. The sixth intelligence is Interpersonal intelligence.
People with this intelligence can cooperate easily, having the ability to recognize and differentiate other‟s feeling and personality, verbal and nonverbal
communication, responsive to friend, empathy, giving feedback Gardner, 2006. The seventh intelligence is Intrapersonal intelligence. People with this
intelligence have a good concentration, deeply self recognizing, empathy-ego balance, reflective, conscious thought to spiritual reality. The eighth intelligence is
Naturalist intelligence. People with naturalist intelligence usually have the ability in recognizing flora and fauna, in classifying and identifying flora and fauna, and
also loving the nature. The last intelligence is Existential intelligence. This intelligence is about the sensitivity and ability to answer human existential
problem Gardner, 2006. In Quantum Learning, those intelligences are represented in the previous
steps. The first step is Know It. the teacher has to know what shehe wants in the
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teaching-learning process. The second is Explain It. The teacher should explain everything clearly to the students material, purpose, and steps of teaching-
learning activities. The third is Get It. After the teacher gives some explanations to the students, the students will be asked to do some activities. This is the time
for the teacher to get the result and feedback. By listening and paying attention to the students, the teacher will understand about
what the students‟ need, and the teacher will know whether the students comprehend the materials well or not
DePorter Hernacki, 1992. B. Seventh Grade Characteristics
Every child‟s development is unique. Although children develop through a generally predictable sequence of milestones, we cannot say exactly when a child
will achieve in each and every stage. Every child has their own timetable. Seventh grade is a year of change for students. They have moved from the
elementary grade to the intermediate grade, they face the transitional phase from the pre-secondary children into secondary children and are faced with a number of
social, physical and cognitive challenges that move and simply being older. In order to overcome those challenges, there are some specific characteristics that
usually fourth graders students have. According to Kimmel and Weiner 1985, seventh grade students are
remarkable by the teacher as the beginning of adolescent by graduation from elementary school. Students in the seventh grade usually in range of age 12-13
and they are associated with puberty. In that age, they tend to be more active and they begin to develop unique social needs and desire.
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The concept of transition refers to a period of change, growth, and disequilibrium that serves as a kind of bridge between one relatively stable point in life and another
relatively stable, but different, point. In that sense adolescent represents the transition between the physical, social, and sexual immaturity of childhood to the physical,
social, and sexual immaturity of adulthood. Thus, adolescent is a period of change, growth, and disequilibrium in terms of physical, social, and sexual maturity Kimmel
Weiner, 1985, p.12.
Based on Brewster 2002, the seventh graders‟ characteristics are based
on the social-emotional, physical, cognitive, and language. In the social- emotional, they usually in the stage of finding their self identity and they are
moodiness and they can be enthusiastic at some times; lethargic at other times. As in the puberty age, they growth in a friendship with both sexes and they usually
attracted to another sex for a special relationship. The seventh grade usually started to complain their parents who is interfering their independence. Thus,
more likely express their feeling by actions rather than words. The students in the seventh grade usually have less overt affection and attention to be shown to their
parents with occasional rudeness. They are impulsive and unaware, and they have extreme experiences of emotions. The students usually have experimenting with
behavior, roles, appearance, and their self-image. They have difficulties with decisions but need to be able to make some choices for themselves. Seventh grade
learners usually demand privileges, but may avoid responsibilities. The students in the seventh grade usually feel unique; they believe that no one else has ever felt
the way they do; suffered so much, or been so misunderstood. Seeing from the physical changing, the seventh grade learners are usually
high energized but need much rest. They have more value in the physical and sports activities. They start to feel awkward and may worry about their body, start
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to over concern for dieting and increased their need for personal hygiene Brewster, 2002.
In the cognitive side, the seventh grade learners‟ hormonal and physical
demands of puberty may cause slowing of rate of cognitive development during early adolescence. The seventh grade learners increase their ability to think
abstract in intellectual pursuits. They learn best when involved in activities that are active, hands-on, and related to real life. In that age, they start to concern with
rules, standards of behavior and fairness, especially for themselves. The learners have lack of understanding of cause and effect as well as feelings of omnipotence
and invulnera bility “It can‟t happen to me” can lead to dangerous risk-taking
behaviors - smoking, drugs, drinking, etc. The students mostly interested in present and limited thoughts of future, and they may show emerging ability in a
particular skill or content area. Students in that age usually showing the improved abilities to use speech for self-expression. The learners have high interest in
current events, politics, social justice; also pop culture, and materialism. In this age, the students will be more consistent evidence of conscience. They usually
have idealism in the idea especially in developing of an ideal and selection of role models. The seventh grade learners
start to offer “ideal” solutions to complex problems. They will also start to ask their parents about religious beliefs, political
beliefs, and other values Brewster, 2002.
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C. Integration Skills
Kategori