Student Character Building Through Hidden Curriculum based on Connectionism Theory

STUDENT CHARACTER BUILDING THROUGH HIDDEN CURRICULUM BASED ON CONNECTIONISM THEORY

Ewina Efriani Manik

Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia

KEYWORDS

Connectionism theory; hidden curriculum; student character

ABSTRACT

This research aims to analyze the implementation of the hidden curriculum on the character building of students at Bunda Hati Kudus Kota Wisata High School. This research uses Thorndike's theory of connectionism which states that learning is a process of interaction between stimuli (can be feelings, thoughts, or behaviors) and responses (which of course also take the form of feelings, thoughts, and movements). Previous research shows that the hidden curriculum emphasizes the formation and development of character in students and character education is part of the hidden curriculum in the learning process in the school environment which is not written directly in the official school curriculum but has a very large contribution in the process of building the character of students. This research aims to analyze strategies to increase understanding and implement ethics at school, at home, and in the community. The research method used is descriptive qualitative. Data collection techniques in this study used observation and interviews. The results showed that the implementation of the hidden curriculum at Bunda Hati Kudus Kota Wisata High School has had a positive habituation impact on students in order to achieve the school's established mission, namely cultivating the values of integrity, compassion, competence based on the spirituality value.

INTRODUCTION

Rapid development of information digitalization, it is easy for us to get all the information, we get a lot of benefits but there is also a lot of negative content. Therefore, to fortify this for students, the government has made a policy of strengthening character education in the school environment which is written in the Presidential Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia Number 87 of 2017. As we know, the curriculum is a method for achieving educational goals, and at the same time it is used as a guide. in the implementation of teaching and learning processes at various types and levels of schools.

The curriculum has a strategic role in the education system. With the educational curriculum directing to a certain achievement. In conveying learning requires learning materials to develop students' abilities and use delivery methods and tools that support the learning. In the educational curriculum, assessment is necessary, because assessment is the main element in the curriculum, so that the curriculum is used as a guide in direct or indirect interactions between teachers and students and is made into a written plan. To determine the success of education and strengthening the character of students, in addition to the written curriculum, it is also necessary to have a hidden curriculum called a hidden curriculum.

The term hidden curriculum was first used by the sociologist Philip Jackson in 1968 AD in Michael (2009). Jackson argues that what is taught in schools is more than the sum total of the curriculum. The hidden curriculum concept includes the development of values in schools, the attention and emphasis given differently to the same field or subject, the level of enthusiasm of the teachers, the physical condition and climate of the schoo l(Kumalasari, 2015). In this research usingconnectionism theory of Thorndike who stated that learningis the process of interaction between a stimulus (which can be in the form of feelings, thoughts or behavior) and a response (which of course also takes the form of feelings, thoughts and movements). According to Thorndike, behavior change can be in the form of something concrete (can be seen), or can also be in the form of non-concrete (cannot be seen). In its application, a person may experience an increase in certain abilities due to the person's interaction with learning facilities.

Education in this country leaves many problems with the formation of character among students, for example cheating while taking exams, promiscuity, laziness, watching adult content or films that are not suitable for their age, fighting, and lack of discipline. Students lack of sympathy and empathy students and so on. On this basis, education needs to develop character education for students so that they can produce graduates who are more qualified and ready to face a world full of challenges and can have noble character, namely having intelligence, having creativity as well as having high ethics and morals, having honesty and discipline. while having a high sense of responsibility (dos Santos, 2022). This is where the Bunda Hati Kudus High School as a formal educational institution not only educates students to be intellectually intelligent and skilled in terms of expertise, but also at the same time educates students who have strong character in personality which gives birth to attitudes and actions that are all important as human beings in Indonesia.

In the article The "Hidden" Corridor Curriculum, Hemmings (2000) states "hidden curriculum" was coined by Philip Jackson (1968) to refer to the unofficial 3 R's (Rules, Routines, and Regulations) that structure life in the classroom. Snyder (1971) characterizes hidden curriculum as covert assignments that result in unplanned lessons that students master to cope with the demands of the everyday classroom. Temporary George Gerbner in his article Teacher Image and the Hidden Curriculum (1972), argues that hidden curriculum is a lesson plan that no one teaches but everyone learns. It consists of a symbolic contour of social order.

Some experts in Brücknerova (2019) argued hidden curriculum includes socialization through immersion in the educational environment (Kelly, 2009), and the unintended effects of educational activities and content that is not officially recognized, which is intentionally passed down by educators (Barrett & Zhang, 2009). This implies that the hidden curriculum is a part of every educational activity, and cannot be avoided. The concept of hidden curriculum often contains social-critical content (Skelton, 1997). However, it can also be used as a neutral umbrella concept that includes phenomena that can be evaluated as positive or negative (Cotton et al., 2013).

Giroux (1983) in Regalsky (2007), argues thatthe hidden curriculum consists of the way in which the workplace (under capitalist relations of production) is reproduced through routines, everyday practices. In turn, these habits give shape to the social relations in the classroom which are in fact the hidden curriculum of education.

Gunawan (2018) argues that there is a significant influence of hidden curriculum variables on the formation of student character. There are five factors that must be considered by educational institutions so that the existing hidden curriculum can significantly influence the formation of student character, namely: (1) interpreting teacher directions; (2) knowing teacher/adult fun behavior; (3) adjust to other students; (4) work effectively in groups; (5) avoid bullies (Smith Myles et al., 2013). Meanwhile,apples(1980)deep opinioncorrespondence theory tends to "cause" us to see schools only in reproductive terms. Their logic sees the institution only acting for reproduce social order. Both form and content of formal corpus school knowledge and hidden curriculum help create the conditions for the cultural and economic reproduction of class relations in our society.

According to experts in (Milson, 2000) during the 1960s and 1970s, the term character education faded from the educational lexicon as Kohlberg's theory of moral development and values clarification approaches became popular (Kohlberg 1975; Raths, Harmin, and Simon 1966; Harmin, Kirschenbaum, and Simon 1973). Character education made a comeback, in the 1980s as several educators and politicians adopted the term to describe their conceptualization of the right direction for values and morals education amid increasing criticism of values clarification (Ryan 1986; Lickona 1991).

Proponents of character education argue that teachers should teach good character traits explicitly, rather than leaving those instructions to the "hidden curriculum." Ryan (1986) explains, "Advice should be used sparingly, and should not stray far from explanations. Nonetheless, there are times when teachers must appeal to young people's best instincts and encourage them to move in a certain direction".

Connectionism theory is a theory that was discovered and developed by Edward. L Thorndike based on experiments he conducted in the 1890s. Connectionism theory views that what is the basis for learning is an association between the impressions of the five senses and the urge that appears to act. According to Thorndike, in Faizal (2013), learning can be done by trial and error, the learning process will produce a skill that must be honed continuously so that it is not lost, and learning that will have a positive impact will motivate students to learn again.

Based on the problems above, this research was specifically designed to answer the question, how is the strategy for implementing hidden curriculum towards building student character at Bunda Hati Kudus High School, Kota Wisata, based on connectionism theory.

METHOD RESEARCH

This research belongs to the research with a qualitative approach with descriptive methods. Researchers collect data through observation and interviews in reasonable or natural situations, as they are, without being influenced intentionally. Activities in data analysis are carried out interactively and continuously until complete, so that the data is valid.

The research was conducted at Bunda Hati Kudus High School, Kota Wisata, Cibubur. Data collection techniques using in-depth interviews, observation, and document study. In-depth interviews were conducted related to how the hidden curriculum implementation strategy for the formation of student character at Bunda Hati Kudus High School, Kota Wisata is based on connectionism theory. The informants in this study were school principals, teachers and students at Bunda Hati Kudus High School.

This study used participatory observation, that is, the researcher took part in the implementation of the hidden curriculum and directly observed habits in schools. The data obtained were then analyzed by condensation, data presentation and data verification (Saldana, 2014). Checking the validity of the data using the credibility test with source triangulation consisting of the school as the key informant, the students as the main informant, and the students' parents as supporting informants. The research stages use the preparation stage, the implementation stage, and the preparation stage.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

After conducting research using predetermined methods, data related to the strategy for implementing student character formation through a hidden curriculum was obtained based on the connectionism theory at Bunda Hati Kudus High School, Kota Wisata, namely that in teaching and learning activities in class, character value development is carried out using an integrated approach. in all subjects. Especially for the subjects of Catholic Religious Education and Citizenship Education because their mission is to develop values and attitudes.

In the school environment, it is conditioned that the physical and socio-cultural environment of the school allows students along with other school members to get used to building daily activities at school that reflect the embodiment of character. In co-curricular activities, it is necessary to develop habituation and strengthening processes in the context of developing character values. In the family and community environment, efforts are made to make the parents/ guardians of students and community leaders strengthen the noble character behavior that is developed at school into daily activities that are often carried out at home and in their respective communities.

From the results of observing the forms of activities that lead to the formation of student character, activities outside of academic learning are created by the principal and teacher with the aim of forming student character so that they can realize student character that is in accordance with the values formed by Bunda Hati Kudus High School that is ICC character (Integrity, Compassion, and Competence). As for the forms of hidden curriculum inBunda Hati Kudus High School as follows:

Student habits

Habits are actions that are consistent or done in the same pattern. The habits of the students formed at Bunda Hati Kudus High School arepraying before starting class, greetings, greetings and smiles to the school residents they meet, mass services every month on the first Friday, and ceremonies every Monday and certain celebration days.

Teacher's exemplary

Exemplary in education is the most influential method that ensures its success in preparing and shaping students' moral, spiritual and social values (Untari, 2017). Whether we realize it or not, the teacher's behavior is reflected in his material and spiritual words and actions. This can be imitated by students. Teacher exemplary inBunda Hati Kudus High School can be seen from how every morning, the principal, teachers, and employees pray together and read the scriptures, and participate in service activities in their respective places of worship.

Class management

The success of learning requires good classroom management. The teacher's efforts to condition the class by optimizing learning resources, environment, and student potential can achieve learning goals. In Bunda Hati Kudus High School itself, the teachers have been able to implement classroom management such as by establishing a democratically selected class structure, and implementing learning methods that depict tolerance, and so on.

School rules

School rules not only help school programs, but also support awareness and adherence to responsibilities. Because this sense of responsibility is the essence of personality that really needs to be developed in students. InBunda Hati Kudus High School itself, the rules made by the school can be understood and carried out quite well by the students. With the existence of a point system, it determines the sanctions and rewards that will be given to students, so that students try to carry out these rules as well as possible.

According to Mr. Endro as the Curriculum representative, the character of the students at Bunda Hati Kudus High School still needs to be improved, for example in terms of honesty that some students at Bunda Hati Kudus High School are still practicing cheating during exams or daily tests. Therefore, in realizing the implementation of the hidden curriculum, Bunda Hati Kudus High School has a strategy with the help of teachers and employees, of course. For example, each teacher has a logbook of events in the classroom which can be filled every day according to the positive and negative things students did during the teaching and learning process. Through the notebook, it can be a follow-up in improving the characteristics of students who are still lacking. Employees themselves such as administrative employees, librarians.

The core hidden curriculum according to Rosyada (2003) is the school's habit of applying discipline to its students, such as the teacher's accuracy in starting learning, the teacher's ability and method of controlling the class, as well as the teacher's habit of treating students who commit misbehavior in the classroom and outside the classroom. All of these are habits that can change the way students think and behave. Likewise, an orderly, neat, orderly school environment and maintaining a clean environment are experiences that can influence student culture.

Quoting Glatthorn's opinion, Sanjaya (2008) explained that there are two aspects that can influence behavior as a hidden curriculum, namely aspects that are relatively fixed and aspects that can change. What is meant by relatively constant are the ideology, beliefs, and cultural values of the community that influence the school, including determining what culture should and should not be passed on to the nation's generations. Meanwhile, the changing aspects include organizational variables as well as social and cultural systems. Organizational variables include how the teacher manages the class, how lessons are given, and how class increases are carried out. The social system includes how the pattern of social relations between teachers and teachers, teachers and students, and teachers and school staff.

This is where it can be seen according to connectionism theory Thorndike (1911), that learning is a process of interaction between stimulus and response. Stimulus is what stimulates learning activities such as thoughts, feelings, or other things that can be captured through the senses (Nurjan, 2016). While the response is the reaction that is raised by students when learning, which can also be in the form of thoughts, feelings, or movements/actions. So changes in behavior due to learning activities can be concrete, that is, that which can be observed, or not concrete, that is, that which cannot be observed. Learning in this case is not only academic, but also how learning creates good student character and in accordance with the values applied by Bunda Hati Kudus High School Kota Wisata, namely forming ICC characters (Integrity, Compassion and Competence) in students.

CONCLUSION

To succeed in character building in schools, school principals must be active in seeking information about various character values in society by taking into account input from stakeholders in order to update educational programs, especially for character education. In addition, teachers are also required to have insight into knowledge and experience about character values that develop in society and know how to teach them to students.

Parents are also responsible for the success of school programs. That is, the success of the school is largely determined by how far the level of parental participation is in the implementation of the programs held at school. Likewise with success for the formation of student character. Active communication is needed between schools and parents.

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Copyright holders:

Ewina Efriani Manik (2023)

First publication right:

Devotion - Journal of Research and Community Service

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International