13 also states,
“Another reason to study perception is that it can help people become more aware of the nature of
their own perceptual experiences” p. 5. It means, in order to give opinion or share knowledge about something, people should have
experienced it first so that they can perceive something real. By perceiving something people can also be more aware on it. Consequently, the way that someone is
perceived on something will determine his or her behavior.
b. Factors Influencing Perception
There are some factors which can influence the perception of a person. Altman, et al. 1985 present four factors which influencing perception. They are
selection of stimuli, organization of stimuli, the situation, and self-concept p. 86. 1
Selection of Stimuli
According to Altman, et al., 1985 people focus on a small number only from all of the stimuli surrounded. This process is called as selection process. Every person
selects stimuli based on the specific cues and filters, or screens, out the others. It is the reason of why each person can perceive things differently Altman, et al., 1985.
2 Organization of Stimuli
The second factor that can influence the perception is organization of stimuli. Based on the theory of Altman, et al. 1985, the data are arranged to be meaningful
information after selected. People’s mind try to bring order the data by selecting
14 certain items and putting them together in a meaningful way based on their
experiences. The process of organizing the information help people categorize sensory input as well as reduce the complex information into the simpler
categorization. 3
The Situation
The third factor which influences someone’s perception is the situation. The
familiarity, expectation, situation and past experience of people may affect what they perceive. “Perceiving a situation accurately is also related to how well a person
adjusts his or her behavior to situations” Altman, et al., 1985, p. 89.
4 Self-concept
The fourth factor which can influence perception is the self-concept. Altman, et al.
1985 explains the way people feel about and perceive by themselves is known as self-concept. The way people see by themselves affects their perception of the
world around. Thus, the self- concept is essential because people’s mental picture
determines much of what can be perceived and done.
2. Independent Leaning
Everybody has already had independent learning since they were children. Holstein 1986 says independent learning situation can happen to children only as a
process which is going on an autonomous process; it is an elementary thing and can
15 be directly experienced. It means that independent learning is actually the
unconscious process which happens in the process of learning. Meyer, Haywood, Sachdev and Faraday 2008 state that:
There are a number of different terms used to describe independent learning; the most common being is self-regulated learning. All these different terms
describe very similar themes and processes, including pupils having an understanding of their learning; being motivated to take responsibility for
their learning; and working with teachers to structure their learning environment p. 2.
Many terms are used to describe independent learning such as autonomous learning, independent study, self-directed learning, student-initiated learning, project
orientation, discovery and inquiry, teaching for thinking, learning to learn, self- instruction and lifelong learning Kesten, 1987, p. 9. All of them describe similar
meaning about students’ independent learning. The process of students’ independent learning in how they understand the lesson, how they become more motivated and
responsible, and how they work with their environment are connected. However, teaching and learning process can
influence students’ independent learning. Aspin and Chapman 2006 as cited in Marshall 2007 perceive that
“independent learning is based on activities which enable learners to take responsibility for their learning, and is essential for lifelong motivation and growth
” p. 42. It means, learning activity which the teacher gives as a strategy for students
can determine students’ independent learning. The students can be more motivated
and responsible with their learning process as well as in doing their project. As the
