PROSIDING ICTTE FKIP UNS 2015 ISSN: 2502-4124 Vol 1, Nomor 1, Januari 2016
Halaman:
| 337
With regard to the difficulties in lesson planning, this self-reflection paper tries to report
on the results of providing scaffolding techniques in the forms of variations of learning
modalities in designing lesson plan. Learning
modality is the learner’s way of using sensory information to learn. Basically, there are three
types of learning modalities: visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic modality Holt Kysilka,
2006:46. Visual learners tend to learn by observing and looking at pictures; auditory
learners learn by being told information and responding
to verbal
instructions; and
kinaesthetic learners learn by touching, doing, and moving.
2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.1 Concept of Scaffolding
To achieve maximum learning outcomes, teacher plays an important role in facilitating
the learning process. Using a social approach to learning, for example, the teacher can assist
learners to compose texts that they could not compose independently Read, 2010. The
process of assisting a person to carry out a task that is unfamiliar or beyond hisher ability is
called scaffolding.
In writing instruction, Majid, et.al. 2015 used modelling and joint production of text in
scaffolding students to write a text. In a parallel mode, Read 2010 proposes IMSCI inquiry,
modelling, sharing, collaboration, independent as model for scaffolding writing instruction. In
inquiry, students are engaged in an inquiry of the characteristics of the text learned. Having
understood the features of text, teacher can model how to write the intended text. Then,
instructor and students co-write a text in the target genre. In collaborative writing, two or
more students work together to produce text. Lastly, in independent writing, teacher releases
responsibility to students because they are ready to write independently.
2.2 Scaffolding the Writing of Lesson Plan by Varying Learning Modalities
In the context writing lesson plan as the formal document of teaching, I adapt the forms
of scaffolding for writing instruction to help pre-service teachers produce lesson plan in ID
course. The variations of learning modalities to scaffold the writing of lesson plan consist of 1
modelling a good lesson plan, 2 collaborative writing of lesson plan, 3 independent writing of
lesson plan, and 4 critical reflection having learned to write lesson plan.
2.2 Modelling a Good Lesson Plan
In general the term modelling refers to the demonstration of physical act. But mental
modelling refers to an act that is invisible Pani, 2004. Modelling is a technique used to
introduce the expected learning goal required to be achieved by students. In this technique,
teachers may use a number of strategies, such as demonstration, presenting good and bad
examples, showing a final product, explaining the expectation, transferring the image in the
teacher’s head to the learner’s head, and incorporating the principles of learning
– motivation,
reinforcement, retention,
and transfer Holt Kyslka, 2006.
There are a number of lesson planning models offered in the literature. Tyler’s 1949
proposed a
rational-linear framework
comprising four steps: 1 specify objectives, 2 select learning activities, 3 organize learning
activities, and 4 specify methods of evaluation. Tyler’s model is supposed to be the
conventional way in planning a lesson and up to the present time, this model is still popular
among the English teachers in Indonesia. Similar to Indonesian context which adopts
Outcomes Based Education OBE, the approach to lesson planning by the teachers in
South Africa was similar to the one recommended by Ralph Tyler Rusznyak
Walton, 2011. In this model a student teacher is expected to take outcomes from policy
documents as the starting points for lesson planning and adopt a backward design process,
constructing a coherent learning process towards the attainment of the specified lesson outcomes
and
assessment standards.
From policy
documents, student teachers will obtain the statements of competencies as the standards
targeted to be achieved in the lesson.
As recommended by TEFLIN Teachers of English as a Foreign Language in Indonesia
Association, philosophically scientific approach adopted by curriculum 2013 creates problems
when implemented in the teaching of English. The scientific approach as a matter of fact is a
PROSIDING ICTTE FKIP UNS 2015 ISSN: 2502-4124 Vol 1, Nomor 1, Januari 2016
Halaman:
| 338
science process suitable for the teaching of science, whereas the teaching of English both in
ESLEFL contexts have adopted communicative language teaching as the state-of-the-art. In this
case, the teaching of English in Indonesia has to adopt the genre-based approach as a form of
communicative language teaching. With regard to this, students are introduced with the model of
lesson plan following genre-based approach. 2.3 Collaborative Writing of Lesson Plan
Johann Amos Comenius cited in Johnson, et.al. 1990 believed that students would benefit
both by teaching and being taught by other students. For the sake of students’ benefits, the
crucial steps in cooperative learning group is the heterogeneous selection of group members
consisting of 2-6 members. By doing so, it is expected that more earners will help the poor
ones. Students will reach their maximum ability zone of proximal development if they are
helped by more learners.
There are five essential components that must be included for small group learning to be
truly cooperative: positive interdependence, face-to-face promotive interaction, individual
responsibility, interpersonal and small group skills, and group processing Johnson, et.al.
1990. Positive interdependence means that they sink and swim together. Face-to-face
promotive
interaction means
students’ opportunity to
promote each other’s learning and success by helping, assisting, supporting,
encouraging, and praising each other’s efforts to learn. Individual accountability exists when the
performance of each individual student is assessed and the results given back to the group
and the individual. Interpersonal and small group skills are skills that do not magically
appear when they are needed. Group processing is defined as reflecting on a group session to a
describe what member actions were helpful and unhelpful and b make decisions about what
actions to continue or change. 2.4 Independent Writing of Lesson Plan
When students are already familiar with the model of lesson plan and have opportunities to
construct the lesson plan via collaboration and intensive coaching, it is time for students to
produce their own lesson plan individually. In this case, scaffolding from teachers are made
minimally. Tanyeli and Kutter 2013 state that one of
the aims of English language curriculum is the learner
autonomy. Learner
autonomy is
understood as “the ability to take charge of one’s own learning” Holec , 1981 in Qi,
2012. This means that students have and hold the responsibility for all the decisions
concerning all aspects of their learning. This indicates that autonomous leaners are able to
self-regulate the direction of their own learning. Learners can determine their learning goal,
design appropriate learning strategies, monitor learning progress, and evaluate learning
outcomes. 2.5 Critical Reflection
For the betterment of teaching services, teachers are required to do critical reflection
about teaching, which constitutes an essential part of teacher professional development
activities. With regard to its importance, ID course provides course participants to do critical
reflection based on what they experienced and felt having followed a set of learning scenarios
designed in ID course.
In a reflective approach to teaching, “teachers and student-teachers collect data
about teaching, examine their attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, and teaching practices, and use the
information obtained as a basis for critical
reflection about teaching” Richards and Lockhart in Bailey, 2006:325. In the context of
learning experiences of ID course, at the end collaborative and individual tasks in the
construction of lesson plan, course participants were asked to do reflection based on what they
did and felt about the teaching scenarios designed in ID course.
3. RESEARCH QUESTION
