T1 112007170 Full text

TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF PENDIDIKAN DAN LATIHAN
PROFESI GURU (PLPG) ON PROFESSIONALISM

THESIS
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan

Octniel Dwi Kurniawan
112007170

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
SALATIGA
2013

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TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF PENDIDIKAN DAN LATIHAN
PROFESI GURU (PLPG) ON PROFESSIONALISM

THESIS
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan

Octniel Dwi Kurniawan
112007170

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
SALATIGA

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2013

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4

5

Teachers’ Perceptions of PLPG on Professionalism
Octniel Dwi Kurniawan
Abstract
Government has concerned about the quality of teachers recently. Also, the
need of professional teachers has increased significantly in the globalization era.
According to UU No. 19 Year 2005, a professional teacher must have 4 basic
competences which are pedagogic, personality, social, and professional
competence achieved through professional education program. Certification is
one of the professional education programs. The certificate of educators can be
obtained through Pemberian Sertifikat Pendidik secara Langsung (PSPL), (2)
Portofolio (PF), (3) Pendidikan dan Latihan Profesi Guru (PLPG), or (4)
Pendidikan Profesi Guru (PPG). The purpose of this study is to investigate
teachers’ perception of the impact of PLPG on professionalism. The research
questions were: (1) What are teachers’ perceptions on professionalism? and (2)
Can PLPG really help teachers to be professional? 59 PLPG participants in
SWCU were given questionnaires which had 3 open-ended questions. The result

showed that there were 7 criteria of a professional teacher and PLPG could really
help teachers to be professional. However, surprisingly, there were still some other
teachers who did not become professional after they had passed PLPG because of
their wrong motives.
Keywords: professionalism, teacher competences, certification, PLPG

Introduction
Teachers become the most important link that connects the teaching to the
hope for the better future education at school. Teachers face the demands of rapid
change, such as the information which can be easily accessed via internet and will
surely change the conventional educational aspects that so far had been pursued. It
will certainly force the teachers to change learning models and methods that had
been used and also change the material and type of assignments given to students.
The problems of teachers in Indonesia either directly or indirectly are related to
the issues of teacher professionalism quality which are inadequate and obviously
it will determine the quality of national education. Some of the challenges to
improve the quality and education in Indonesia according to World Bank are lack

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of teacher, uneven distribution of teachers, lack of qualified teachers, lack of
welfare, management of educators that has not been arranged, the complexity of
the implementation of the Law on Teachers and incomplete legislation regarding
to teachers (Irtanto, 2006). The implementation of education in Indonesia has not
been successful. Teachers have a big role and responsibilities to succeed the goal
of national education. There are many educational institutions which its teacher is
still not feasible to become professional teachers. The existence of teacher
certification program motivates teachers to increase their professionalism, but on
the other hand it is also detrimental to the teachers who in fact have limitations in
the field of administration. Settling system certification program implementation
should be done more efficiently (Ministry of Education, 2004).
There are many perceptions on professionalism. Perception in Chaplin
Psychology (1989) is defined as one of the psychological tool which marks
someone’s ability to identify and explain an existing object in the environment.
Perception requires the mediation object of sensory nerves, then transmitted to the
brain as the center of consciousness or a stimulus that affects sensory organs by
means of sensory nerves, and then transmitted to the brain as the center of
consciousness (psychological process). Perception, according to Jalaludin (1998),
was an experience of objects, events, or relationships obtained by inferring
information and interpreting the message. According to Ruch (1967), perception is

a process of sensory cues and relevant past experiences organized to give us a
structured and meaningful way in a given situation. In line with this, Atkinson and
Hilgard (1991) argue that perception is the process by which we interpret and

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organize patterns of stimuli in the environment. Gibson and Donely (1994)
explains that the perception is the process of giving meaning to the environment
by an individual.
In a book written by Kunandar (2007), it stated that professionalism comes
from the word profession means a field of work you want or be occupied by
someone. According to Glenn Langford (1970), the criterion of profession
include; (1) wages, (2) having the knowledge and skills, (3) having a sense of
responsibility and purpose, (4) prioritizing services, (5) having unity, (6) having
recognition from other people. Professionals also are interpreted as a position or
job that requires specialized knowledge and skills gained from the intensive
academic education. Thus, the profession is a demanding job or position specific
skills. As to the meaning of professionalism, Arifin (1995) suggests the view that
a certain skill required in the particular occupation in which skill is acquired only
through special education or special training. Teachers as a profession, is no

longer considered a regular job, but a job that requires education and skills that
cannot be done by people carelessly. Being a teacher is not an easy job, as some
people imagine, with a capital of mastery of the material and present it to the
students, it is not enough to say as a teacher who has a professional job. Teachers
should have a variety of skills, abilities, loves his job and keep the code of
conduct of teachers. Teachers as professional educators have a good image in the
community if they can show the public that they are worthy of being a role model
or an example for their surroundings (Soetjipto and Kosasi, 2000). According to
Oemar Hamalik (2006), teachers must have professional requirements include; 1)

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Having talent as a teacher, 2) Having skill as a teacher, 3) Having good and
integrated skill, 4) Having healthy mental, 5) Having healthy body, 6) Having
broad experience and knowledge, 7) Being a human who has Pancasila spirit, 8)
Being a good citizen. A professional teacher is he/she who has passed a teacher
education program, has got a master degree and has experienced in teaching large
classes. According to UU No. 14 year 2005 on teachers and lecturers chapter 7, a
professional teacher is a specialized field of work carried out by the following
principles: (1) have the talent, enthusiasm, and idealism vocation, (2) a

commitment to improve the quality of education, faith, piety and noble character,
(3) has the academic quality and educational background in accordance with its
duties, (4) have the necessary competence in accordance with its duties, (5) has
the responsibility for the implementation of professional tasks, (6) earnings
determined in accordance with professional work, (7) have the opportunity to
develop professionalism, continuous lifelong learning, (8) have the assurance of
legal protection and professionalism in carrying out the task (9) has a professional
organization that has the authority to regulate matters be related to teacher
professionalism.

According

to

Permendiknas

(2007),

in

performing

professionalism, a teacher must have the professionalism competencies which
include: 1) mastering the material, structure, concepts and patterns that support the
subject matter, 2) understanding the standard subject matter competency, 3)
understanding the basic competency subject matter, 4) uunderstanding learning
objectives, 5) selecting appropriate learning materials according to the
developmental level of students, 6) ability in processing the material in a creative

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subject matter according to the developmental level of students, 7) to reflect on
own performance continuously, 8) utilizing the results of reflection in order to
improve

the

professionalism,

9)

conduct

action

research

to

improve

professionalism, 10) followed the progress of time by learning from various
sources,

11)

use

of

technology,

information,

and

communication

in

communication, 12 ) use of technology, information and communication for
development. From the understanding above, it can be concluded that the
definition of a professional teacher is a person who has the ability and expertise in
the field of teacher training so that he/she is able to perform its duties and
functions as a teacher with a maximum capability.
A professional teacher must have 4 basic competences which are pedagogic,
personality, social, and professional competence achieved through professional
education program (PP No.74 Year 2008, UU No. 19 Year 2005). According to
the National Standard of Education in chapter 28 verse 3, teacher pedagogical
competence is an ability in the management of learners learning at least the

following: a) insight or understanding of the educational foundation; b)
understanding of learners; c) developing curriculum or syllabus; d) designing
learning; e) implementation of educational learning and dialogue; f) the use of
learning technologies; g) evaluation of learning outcomes, and h) development of
a variety of learners to actualize its potential. Personality Competence include the
personalities of: a) faithful and pious; b) morality; c) wise and prudent; d)
democratic; e) steady; f) authoritative; g) stable; h) adult; i) honest; j)
sportsmanship; k) set an example for students and the community; l) objectively

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evaluate their own performance, and m) develop themselves independently and
sustainably. Social Competence is the ability of teachers as part of the society that
at least includes the competences to: a) oral communication, written, and / or
gestures in a dignified manner; b) using information and communication
technology is functional; c) interact effectively with students, fellow teachers,
staff, leadership education unit, the parents or guardians of students; d) hanging
out in a dignified manner with the surrounding community to heed the norms and
value systems that apply, and e) apply the principles and spirit of true
brotherhood. Teacher Professional Competency is the ability to master knowledge
in science, technology, and / or arts and culture that at least have the following
control: a) subject matter is broad and deep in accordance with the standards of
the education unit program content, subjects, and / or a group of subjects who will
be amnestied, and b) concepts and methods of the discipline of science,
technology, or art that is relevant, which is conceptually coherent with shade or
program unit education, subjects, and / or a group of subjects who will be
amnestied.
Certification program is powerful enough to raise the professionalism of
teachers. In 2007, the government issues the standardization of qualification and
certification system for teachers. The certification is regulated in UU No. 14 Year
2005 which mandated that teachers are required to have academic qualifications,
teacher competencies, certificates of educators, physically and mentally healthy,
and have the ability to realize the goal of national education. To be acknowledged
as professional, teachers must get a certificate of educator through a process called

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certification. Teacher certification is a process of giving a certificate of educator
for teachers. The certificate of educator is given to teachers who have met the
professional standards of teachers (Trianto, 2007). Professional teachers are a
necessary condition for creating systems and practices of quality education.
Improving the quality of teachers through this certification program is an effort to
improve the quality of education. The rationale is that if a teacher competence is
good, followed by good earnings, the performance is also expected well. If the
performance is good, the teaching and learning activities will be also good. The
good teaching and learning activities are expected to be able to produce a good
quality education. Based on the certification procedures specified in the guidelines
of teacher certification, the certification can be obtained through Pemberian
Sertifikat Pendidik

secara

Langsung

(PSPL),

(2) Portofolio

(PF),

(3)

Pendidikan dan Latihan Profesi Guru (PLPG), or (4) Pendidikan Profesi Guru
(PPG). The participants of certification who do not fulfill the requirements in
PSPL and who have not achieved a minimum passing score in Portofolio (PF),
must take part in PLPG which is held by Perguruan Tinggi Penyelenggara
Sertifikasi Guru / Lembaga Pendidikan Tenaga Kependidikan (LPTK).
PLPG is an education program made to enhance teacher competence and
professionalism, as well as to determine the graduation of teacher certification
participants who have not reached the minimum passing score on the assessment
of the portfolio (Samani, 2006). PLPG aims to improve the competence,
professionalism, and determine the graduation of teacher certification participants.
The implementation is based on PLPG standard processes as follows.

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1.

PLPG is implemented by LPTK (Lembaga

Pendidikan

Tenaga

Kependidikan) in positions that have been set by Government and
supported by the College which has a course relevant to the field of study /
subject of teacher participants.
2. PLPG is held for a minimum of 10 days and weigh 90 Hour Meeting
(HM), with an allocation of 22 HM theory and 68 HM practice. The HM is
equivalent to 50 minutes.
3. The determination of the PLPG place must consider the feasibility
(representative and conducive) to the learning process.
4. A study group in PLPG is attempted for one field of expertise / subject.
5. One study group consists of max 36 participants and one group of peer
teaching / peer counseling / peer supervising of max 12 participants. Under
certain conditions, the number of participants in one study group or peer
group teaching / peer counseling / peer supervising can be adjusted.
6. One group of peer teaching / peer counseling / peer supervising is
facilitated by one instructor who has relevant NIA during the exam.
7. PLPG is preceded by pretest in writing (1 HM) for measuring the
pedagogic competence and the initial professionalism of participants.
8. Learning in PLPG is done in the form of workshops preceded by
delivering the supporting material of workshop by using multi-media and
multi-method which based on active, innovative, creative, effective, and
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fun (PAIKEM) learning.
9. PLPG is ended by a competency test that includes written test and
performance test (practice test).
PLPG materials are arranged by taking into account the four competencies of
teachers: (1) pedagogical, (2) professional, (3) personality, and (4) social. The
standardization of competencies is specified in the PLPG materials that are
determined by LPTK with reference to the guidelines established by the Director
General Higher Education / Chairman of Teacher Certification Consortium and
the results of needs assessment. PLPG materials may include books, textbook, or
modules. Because the learning processes in PLPG emphasize more on the
workshop, it is better for the teaching materials to be packaged into modules.
Modules are at least including: learning objectives (Competencies to be achieved),
exposure to the materials, exercises, evaluations, answer key, and a list of
references. The implementation of PLPG ends with exams that include a written
test and performance test. Written test aims to uncover the professional and
pedagogic competence. The performance test aims to reveal the professional,
pedagogic, personality, and social competence. The four competencies can also be
assessed during the training process takes place. Exam performance in PLPG
conducted in forms of instructional practices for teachers or guidance and
counseling practices BK teachers, or teaching & supervision practices for teachers
who are appointed in supervisory positions. Exam performance for each
participant at least implemented for 1 HM. If the participants have not reached the
limit passing grade, they must repeat the test again. The re-test is actually the

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same as the first test which includes written test and or performance test. If the
participants of performance re-test for particular subjects are few in number, it can
be combined with participants from allied subjects. Re-test is only once,
participants who do not pass the test again will be returned to the Department of
Education to be developed. PLPG is so important that most teachers must take it
in order to get the certificate of educator.
The Study
This study answered two questions related to teachers’ perceptions of PLPG
on professionalism. The two questions were: (1) What are teachers’ perceptions on
professionalism? and (2) Can PLPG really help teachers to be professional? This
study is a qualitative study since the researcher wants to find out the perceptions
of PLPG participants. The study is also a descriptive study because the analysis
will be in the form of descriptive writing without the researcher’ intervention. The
purpose of this study is to investigate the perception of the impact of PLPG on
professionalism. Therefore, a descriptive qualitative study would be essential to
gather the subjects; perceptions on professionalism.
The setting of the study was in a LPTK that holds PLPG (Pendidikan dan
Latihan Profesi Guru) program for rayon Salatiga and Semarang Regency. The
LPTK was Satya Wacana Christian University in Salatiga (SWCU), Central Java,
Indonesia. The program was started from October 15, 2011 - November 20, 2011.
Most ED lecturers of SWCU became the instructors in this program. They were
responsible to give materials and trainings to some high school English teachers.
In the end of the program, they were responsible to assess the result of PLPG

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competence test.
The subject of this study was the participants of PLPG (Pendidikan dan
Latihan Profesi Guru) in SWCU. The researcher chose them as the participants of
his study because he was the student of SWCU so he could easily get permission
to take data. Therefore, the method used by the researcher was convenience
sampling. The participants were actually 64 English teachers (SMP, SMA, and
SMK) rayon Salatiga and Semarang Regency, but 4 teachers were absent and 1
teacher came late. Therefore, there were only 59 teachers who became the subject
of this study. 15 people were male and 44 others were female. The age ranged
from 30 - 53. The length of teaching English was 7 - 29 years. They were
participating PLPG which started from October 15, 2011 - November 20, 2011,
only on weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) in SWCU. It began at 7.30 AM and
finished at 17.40 PM.
The data method was qualitative. The data collection instrument was a
questionnaire. It was distributed on November 20, 2011, the last day of PLPG
program, before the competence test. The questionnaire consisted of 4 questions
about the personal data of the participants and 3 open-ended questions about
professionalism. The first question was formed to answer the first research
question. The second question was formed to answer the second research
question. The third question is formed to confirm the answer of the second
question. The first step of this study was forming a research question which what
the perceptions of PLPG participants of the impacts on professionalism. The
second step was reading review of literatures to help the researcher decides the

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data collection method used. The researcher used questionnaire as a tool. After
making a decision of which the subjects were, the researcher went to Satya
Wacana Christian University (as LPTK) to distribute the questionnaires to the
PLPG participants. The researcher distributed the questionnaires on November 20,
2011, the last day of PLPG program, before the competence test. After gathering
all the data needed, the researcher analyzed the data using the following
procedure:
1. The researcher translated the questionnaire results into English, so that it is
easy to analyze.
2. The researcher analyzed the data qualitatively and descriptively by
grouping the discussions into 2 subheadings.
3. In the end, the researcher drew a conclusion and gave some suggestions.

Results and Discussion
After the data have been collected, the researcher described and analyzed
them to answer the research questions. The data are presented in 2 main parts
according to the order of research questions.
A. Teachers’ perceptions on professionalism
The first research question of this study is: what are teachers’
perceptions on professionalism? It was represented by the first question of
the questionnaire. First of all, 25 out of 59 teachers (42%) answered that a
professional teacher must have 4 basic competences; pedagogic, personality,

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social, and professional. The following comment from a teacher illustrates
these points:
“Guru professional adalah guru yang memiliki 4 kompetensi
yaitu kompetensi professional, pedagogic, pribadi dan social.”
(Teacher 9)
(Professional teachers are teachers who have 4 professional
competences which are professional, pedagogic, personal and
social competence.)
All of the competences are regulated in UU No. 19 Year 2005. Perhaps, they
got this idea from one of the PLPG materials which was called
"Pengembangan profesionalitas guru" (Developing teacher professionalism)
in the beginning of the program. Secondly, 9 teachers out of 59 teachers
(15%) answered that a professional teacher must be expert in his/her subject
taught at school. The following comment from a teacher illustrates these
points:
“Guru professional adalah guru yang mampu menguasai materi
dan menerapkan dengan kaidah-kaidah yang benar sesuai
dengan tujuan pendidikan, sehingga timbul semangat terhadap
anak didik untuk menguasai ilmu yang diajarkan oleh guru
tersebut.” (Teacher 34)
(Professional teachers are teachers who are able to master the
material and apply the correct principles in accordance with the
purpose of education, so they can raise the morale of the students
to master the knowledge taught by the teacher.)
It means that the teacher must really master the subject and be able to share it to
the students. The teacher must always enhance his/her skill and self-quality
continuously. Thirdly, 8 teachers out of 59 teachers (14%) answered that a
professional teacher was a responsible teacher who did his/her duties according to

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the rules and ethics. The following comment from a teacher illustrates these
points:
“Guru professional adalah guru yang menjalankan tugas sesuai
dengan kewajibannya mengantarkan anak didik dan mentransfer
ilmu.” (Teacher 36)
(Professional teachers are teachers who perform tasks in
accordance with the obligation to lead students and transfer their
knowledge to students.)
It means that the teacher must be responsible to educate the students according to
the valid regulations. The teacher should be creative and innovative so the
students can really apply the knowledge. The teacher must have a strong
commitment as an educator. Fourthly, 6 teachers out of 59 teachers (10%) thought
that a professional teacher was not only able to educate students but also able to
guide them to a better condition and to achieve their dream in the future. The
following comment from a teacher illustrates these points:
“Guru yang mampu tidak hanya mendidik murid tapi juga
membimbing mereka ke dalam keadaan yang lebih baik dari
sebelumnya dan dapat meraih cita-cita di masa akan datang
dalam menghadapi tantangan zaman menuju ke era
globalisasi.”(Teacher 43)
(Professional teachers are teachers who are able to not only
educate students but also guide them into a better state than
before and able to achieve their goals in the future in facing the
challenges of globalization era.)
It means that the teacher must be able to handle the incapable students to become
capable of finishing their learning problems by themselves. The teacher must give
the best he/she can by developing the materials or educational sources so it can

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help students to study better. The teacher must also develop him/herself by
evaluating their teaching and having noble characters so he/she can be a good
model for the students. Fifthly, 4 teachers out of 59 teachers (7%) thought that a
professional teacher should have high dedication in doing his/her duty, discipline,
understanding of his/her students, high loyalty, and good IQ (Intelligence), EQ
(Good Emotion Control), SQ (Spiritual Feeling). The following comment from a
teacher illustrates these points:
“Guru professional adalah guru yang mempunyai dedikasi
tinggi dalam menjalankan tugas, selalu bertindak ingin maju
dengan banyak explore pengetahuan, selalu meningkatkan
pengetahuan dan berusaha memajukan anak bangsa. Dan yang
paling penting selalu berpegang pada kode etik guru.”(Teacher
49)
(Professional teachers are teachers who have high dedication in
performing their duties, always want to explore knowledge,
constantly improve their knowledge and try to advance the
nation's children. And most importantly they always hold the
code of ethics of teachers.)
Sixthly, 3 teachers out of 59 teachers (6%) thought that a professional teacher
must have teaching certificate or license before he/she becomes a teacher. The
following comment from a teacher illustrates these points:
“Guru professional  guru yang sudah bersertifikasi, yang
sudah diuji yang nantinya mampu menghasilkan anak didik yang
berprestasi.” (Teacher 53)
(Teachers who have been certified and tested will be able to
produce excellent students.)
In this way, other people would acknowledge him/her because he/she must have a
set of skills to support the profession. At last, 3 teachers out of 59 teachers (6%)

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thought that a professional must keep abreast of the times. The following
comment from a teacher illustrates these points:
“Guru yang bisa menjawab atau melaksanakan sesuai dengan
tujuan yang dicanangkan oleh pihak yang berwenang sesuai
dengan jaman atau waktu yang sedang dihadapi.” (Teacher 57)
(Professional teachers are teachers who can answer or perform in
accordance with the objectives announced by the authorities
which are suitable with the age or time.)
It means the teacher must be able to adapt the materials to the development of the
world so the students will not lack of information. The teacher must also be able
to use the methods or steps which change from time to time.
B. THE IMPACTS OF PLPG ON PROFESSIONALISM
The second research question of this study is: can PLPG really help teachers
to be professional? It was represented by the second question of the questionnaire.
All 59 participants (100%) agreed that PLPG really helped them to be
professional teachers. They also explained why it can help them to be
professional. First of all, 40 out of 59 teachers (68%) explained that they could get
so many useful knowledge and skills from this PLPG and develop them for their
future teaching. The following comment from a teacher illustrates these points:
“Ya. Dengan adanya pendidikan dan pelatihan, kami banyak
mendapatkan ilmu yang sangat berguna terutama dalam
merancang perancanaan mengajar & penelitian tindakan kelas.
Praktek mengajar peer teaching dengan pendampingan
instruktur juga sangat bermanfaat karena banyak memberi
masukan.”(Teacher 21)

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(Of course. With the education and training, we get a lot of
knowledge which is particularly useful in designing teaching
plans and classroom action research. The teaching practice of
peer teaching with instructor assistance is also very useful for
many entries.)
PLPG opened their eyes to the new knowledge and creative methods in teaching.
They could share their experiences to others and get new experiences as well.
They could get many creative ideas in designing the learning process in class and
determining the learning method and materials. The workshops gave them broader
insight in teaching and the peer teachings helped them to practice the skill and
knowledge. They could learn to use the newest technology like computer, internet,
etc. They could know more about the characteristics of a professional teacher.
Secondly, 12 out of 59 teachers (20%) explained that PLPG could improve their
pedagogic, social, personality, and professionalism competence. The following
comment from a teacher illustrates these points:
“Ya. Lebih meningkatkan kompetensi pedagogis, social,
kepribadian dan profesionalisme.” (Teacher 48)
(Yes, it can improve the competence of pedagogic, social,
personality, and professionalism.)
In PLPG, they had to practice the four competences by developing the materials
they got. Hopefully, they will also practice it in their teaching at school. Thirdly, 7
out of 59 teachers (12%) answered that they got new experiences in teaching so
they could realize and correct the mistakes they often do, for example;
pronunciation mistakes. The following comment from a teacher illustrates these
points:

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“Ya. Adanya PLPG ini paling tidak memberi pelajaran,
mengingatkan dan melatih para guru yang selama ini ternyata
pandangan dan persepsi yang keliru tentang bagaimana cara
mengajar.”(Teacher 44)
(Yes, PLPG at least can teach, remind and train teachers who
actually have wrong views and perceptions about how to teach.)
They could get the right view or perception about how to teach correctly. They
could understand deeper about how to be a professional teacher.
In the results above, the teacher participants of PLPG were sure that PLPG
really helped them to be professional. Then the third question of questionnaire
was actually formed to confirm the answer of the second question. However,
when being asked about the professionalism of other teachers who they knew they
had already passed PLPG before, their answers were quite surprising. 32 of 59
participants (55%) agreed that some teachers who they knew they had joined
PLPG before had become professional teachers. Those other teachers had shown
changes or improvements in teaching like now using technology as their teaching
aids. The following comment from a teacher illustrates these points:
“Beberapa teman saya yang sudah lulus PLPG sudah
menggunakan media.metode yang bervariasi untuk PBM (Proses
Belajar Mengajar) di kelas. Ada perubahan yang lebih baik
sesudah mengikuti PLPG.” (Teacher 18)
(Some of my friends who have passed PLPG have already used
varying tools and methods to teach in their classroom. There is a
better improvement after they participated in PLPG.)
9 of 59 participants (15%) thought that only half teachers they knew had become
professional, but the other halves had not. It depended on the character,
commitment and responsibility of every teacher. The following comment from a

23

teacher illustrates these points:
“Ada yang sudah ada yang belum. Hal tersebut tergantung
attitude dari guru tersebut karena ada yang berusaha
mengaplikasikan apa yang sudah diperoleh setelah PLPG dan
ada yang mengangggap hal tersebut hanya bersifat formalitas
belaka.”(Teacher 50)
(Half of them have become professional teachers, but the other
halves have not. It depends on the attitude of the teacher itself
because some teachers really tried to apply what they have been
obtained in PLPG and some others consider it is merely a
formality.)
16 of 59 participants (27%) did not see any changes from the teachers they knew
before and after joining PLPG. Most of them thought that the teachers joined
PLPG because their motivation was only to get additional salary. The following
comment from a teacher illustrates these points:
“Tidak semua guru yang lulus PLPG sekarang ini menjadi guru
yang professional. Lebih banyak mereka yang kembali lagi
seperti sebelum mengikuti / lulus PLPG. Kinerjanya tidak ada
bedanya, sikapnya sama saja. Yang menjadikan lain hanyalah
sikap konsumsif setelah mendapat tunjangan profesi.”(Teacher
42)
(Not all teachers who passed PLPG have become professional
teachers. Most of them remain unchanged just like before joining
PLPG. Their performances are not different, just the same
manner. What makes different is the consumptive manner after
receiving additional salary.)
Unfortunately, there were 2 participants (3%) who did not answer the question or
left it blank.
From the results above, the researcher can conclude that PLPG is a very
useful program to train teachers to be professional. It can broaden their insights

24

about teaching. However, the motives of the participants in joining PLPG are
sometimes wrong. It is unfortunate if there is no improvement after teachers pass
PLPG whereas the government is really serious about this program.
Conclusion
This study is aimed to investigate the teachers’ perceptions of PLPG on
professionalism. The study was guided by the following questions: (1) What are
teachers’ perceptions on professionalism? and (2) Can PLPG really help teachers
to be professional? To answer the research questions, the writer used
questionnaires which had 3 open-ended questions. For the first question, there
were 7 criteria that participants stated were needed to be a professional teacher.
They were: having basic competences (42%), having expertise in subjects (15%),
having responsible to duties (14%), student guidance (10%), having dedication
(7%), having certificate / academic requirements (6%), and abreast of the times
(6%). In relation to the second research question, the data revealed that PLPG
helped all teacher participants to be professional. However, surprisingly, some
participants answered the third question of questionnaire that other teachers who
they knew still did not become professional after they passed PLPG. In their
opinion, some teachers joined PLPG just to get additional salary. The government
should be more concerned about this because PLPG will be useless if the
participants cannot become professional teachers.
This research was done to show the teachers’ perceptions of PLPG on
professionalism. The writer wanted to show that the implementation of PLPG
should be considered. The implication of this study can be useful for teachers and
25

government. For teachers, it can give deeper understanding about PLPG and
higher awareness that PLPG is important for becoming professional. Teachers
who are aware of the importance of PLPG will join it to be professional teachers.
Also, it will give input for the government who hold the teacher certification
program, especially for the Department of National Education and LPTK which
can develop the policies in order to increase the professionalism of teachers.
Finally, the writer would like to admit that this study has a limitation that is
concerned on the number of participant and particular place. This research only
focuses on 59 English teachers of high schools rayon Salatiga and Semarang
Regency who joined PLPG in Satya Wacana Christian University as LPTK.
Therefore, the writer would like to suggest for further study to have a large
number of participants from various subject fields so that the result would be
more conclusive. Furthermore, further study can also be done in another rayon or
regency so the result can be compared and new findings can be revealed.

26

Acknowledgement
This thesis would not have been possible without the support of many
people. I wish to express my gratitude to:
 My Father in Heaven, Lord Jesus Christ, who always gives me strength
and motivation to finish this thesis. Thanks for hearing my tears and cries
every day and night in Your Presence. I surrender my whole life for You.
 My supervisor, Mrs Anne Timotius, who always helped me and forced
me to finish this thesis soon so that I could graduate on March. Thank
you very much mam! I was so sorry for being lazy. I promise to change
into a better man. I will never forget you.
 My thesis examiner, Mrs Anita Kurniawati, who were willing to check
my thesis quickly and giving me a good grade. Thanks a lot mam! May
Jesus always bless you and your family.
 My great family; Papa, Mama, Cik Nonik, Nuel, Sela, Excel, and
especially for my extraordinary brother and sister; Nael and Debi. You
have become an excellent model for me. Thanks all for being patient with
me all the time. I will make you all proud of me one day! Amen.
 My girlfriend, Indriani, who always loves me, encourages me, be patient
with me, and be loyal. I know you are my true love and I will never let
you go. I promise to be the best man for you! I love you now and forever.
 My best friend, Oviana Listiyaningrum, who always cheers me,
motivates me, and reminds me to Jesus. Best Friends Forever! Thanks for
your pray. Let’s race together to receive the Crown of Life.
 All my families, my relatives, my friends especially Christian who are
really kind to let me stay freely in his boarding house in Sukowati, my
awesome pastor in my local church and other great pastors, Thanks a lot!
This is just the beginning of my new adventure in life with Christ.
27

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Appendix (Questionnaire)

ANGKET PENELITIAN
Tujuan dari angket ini adalah untuk mengetahui persepsi guru terhadap pengaruh PLPG
(Pendidikan dan Latihan Profesi Guru) terhadap profesionalisme guru. Kami sangat berterima
kasih apabila bapak ibu berkenan meluangkan waktu untuk mengisi angket ini. Angket ini sama
sekali tidak berpengaruh terhadap hasil PLPG. Kerahasiaan Anda kami jamin.

Jenis Kelamin

: L / P (lingkari salah satu)

Umur

:..................

Institusi Mengajar

: SMP / SMA / SMK (lingkari salah satu)

Lama Mengajar

:...................

Jawablah pertanyaan berikut dengan jujur.

1. Menurut pendapat Anda, apakah definisi guru profesional itu?

2. Apakah menurut Anda program PLPG ini dapat membantu Anda menjadi
seorang guru profesional? Jelaskan.

3.

Cobalah merefleksikan seseorang/beberapa orang guru yang Anda kenal yang sudah lulus
PLPG. Apakah menurut Anda guru tersebut sekarang menjadi seorang guru profesional?
Jelaskan.

 Terima Kasih 

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