Hello folks! Today I would like to post a part of group
assignments I’ve got during a class related to the Thematic Approach which
would be implemented in Curriculum of Indonesian Education 2013. The other members
of the group were Azhari Muhlis, Aulia Arifaturrochmah, Nurqonaah, and Nizar
Ibnus. So here are our discussion result:
The
Definition of Thematic Approach
Thematic approach is an approach to learning which is in
a form of integrated teaching and learning involving a theme to relate several
subjects in order to give the students meaningful experiences in learning.
Who,
When, Where, and How
Generally, there are several steps to implement the
theme-based learning. They are:
1. Choose
a theme:
Unless the National Guidelines specify which themes to be used, the teachers can
discuss and define the theme for their teaching. This is based the interests,needs,
and development of the students
2.
Planning: In this
step, the teachers make deadlines to specify the objectives, strategies, and
evalutaion to be used in their teaching.
3.
Process: This is
where the plan is pot into action in the classroom. This process is flexible.
It means that it may undergo several changes in line with the students’ interests.
4. Evaluation: The
teachers evaluate how far the students progress with the applied theme-based learning.
Challenges
One of the biggest challenges in implementing the
thematic approach is that this approach is still new in language teaching and
learning. There have not been enough textbooks available for both the teachers
and learners to use. The teachers have to struggle to develop their own
materials using this approach.
The other challenge is related to the common habit of
many teachers. They have got used to the previous approach in a very rigid and
detailed English curriculum. In other words, they have to adjust thier ways of
teaching based on this approach.
Another challenge worth mentioning concerns the regional
or local examination and, especially in Indonesia, the National Examination.
These examinations are still oriented towards the previous curriculum mainly stressing
the linguistic competence of the learners (i.e. their knowledge of grammar and
vocabulary).
References
