Teachers training curriculum needs revising: Observers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Observers and officials expressed support on
\nMonday for a revision of the teachers training curriculum,
\nespecially in the fields of science and mathematics.<\/p>\n
The calls came following a poor showing by 27 science teachers
\nin the capital in a physics test.<\/p>\n
\"The revision must start from the very basic level, in which
\nstate universities such as the Jakarta State University (formerly
\nIKIP Jakarta) that provides education courses, must focus more on
\nthe teaching methods of mathematics and science,\" Hafid Abbas, an
\neducation expert who is also a former deputy rector at Jakarta
\nState University, said.<\/p>\n
Hafid's remarks came after it was revealed that a physics test
\ntaken by 27 randomly selected science teachers in senior high
\nschools in Jakarta yielded extremely poor results.<\/p>\n
About half the testees got all the answers wrong, while only
\nfive percent answered more than six out of the 10 questions
\ncorrectly.<\/p>\n
The test was conducted by the Jakarta Agency for National
\nEducation Office in cooperation with the Physics Olympic Team
\n(Tofi) late last year.<\/p>\n
Tofi chairman Johanes Surya said the questions were based on
\nmaterial in the book Fisika Itu Mudah (Physics is Easy) for first
\ngrade senior high school.<\/p>\n
He claimed that the essay-style questions were only \"a little
\nbit more difficult than first grade high school questions, but
\nsadly those teachers failed to answer them correctly.\"<\/p>\n
\"Most of them didn't even understand the questions,\" Johanes
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Concern over the quality of science and mathematics teachers
\nhas actually persisted for some time, Alwi Nurdin, head of
\nJakarta Agency for National Education said on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"We noticed that students' national exam results for science
\nand mathematics had fallen sharply in 1998,\" Alwi said.<\/p>\n
Rector of Jakarta State University Soetjipto, however, claimed
\nthat teachers received adequate lessons in teaching mathematics
\nand science.<\/p>\n
\"They have to take mathematics for three semesters, which is
\nsimilar to the mathematics curriculum at the Bandung Institute of
\nTechnology (ITB),\" Soetjipto remarked. (edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/teachers-training-curriculum-needs-revising-observers-1447893297",
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