This paper reported the attempt teachers did in developing native-like (NLS) listening materials for their EFL learners using a text-to-speech (TTS) technology. Observation was carried out to record teachers’ procedures for developing NLS materials. Interview with teachers were undertaken to explore their’ perceptions towards the NLS listening materials and the benefits they gained from developing instructional media using technology. In addition, a questionnaire was distributed to 65 eight-grade pupils to gather information related to their opinions regarding the listening materials developed and used by their teachers. The findings show that teachers and pupils responded positively towards the NLS materials for listening comprehension. In addition, teachers were found to have more confidence in teaching listening skill while using the technology. There are three conditions which endorse this teaching confidence: the suitability of instructional materials used with the learning curriculum and pupils’ level of English proficiency, teachers’ self-efficacy to the teaching task, and the integration of technology in classroom teaching. The study suggests that TTS system can be used as computer assisted language learning (CALL) application particularly in the development of listening comprehension materials. The study also confirms earlier studies that teacher professional development can be promoted through integrated training on technology for classroom use.

Pendidikan Diibaratkan sebagai sebuah lentera yang menerangi kehidupan

This research examines the effectiveness on how mathematics teachers have begun to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) with reciprocal teaching model to improve students’ mathematics critical thinking ability into seventh junior high school classroom practice. This study was experimental research with a quasi-experimental design. The samples of the study are 36 students for classroom experiments and 36 students for classroom control. The instruments employed in this study were pre-test and post-test. All the instruments are made in essays forms. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. Based on the research findings, it was gotten that (1) the development of teaching instructional multimedia of the seven grade students of junior high school; (2) the improvement of students’ mathematics critical thinking ability in experimental class; (3) the aspect of attractiveness shows that the developed instructional multimedia was very interesting; and (4) reciprocal learning has good impact on students’ mathematics critical thinking ability.

  Riset dan Kajian Seabad Muhammadiyah   Download Disini!

  Revitalisasi Pendidikan Muhammadiyah di Tengah Persaingan Nasional dan Global

In this paper, we describe a prototype of web-based intelligent handwriting education system for autonomous learning of Bengali characters. Bengali language is used by more than 211 million people of India and Bangladesh. Due to the socio-economical limitation, all of the population does not have the chance to go to school. This research project was aimed to develop an intelligent Bengali handwriting education system. As an intelligent tutor, the system can automatically check the handwriting errors, such as stroke production errors, stroke sequence errors, stroke relationship errors and immediately provide a feedback to the students to correct themselves. Our proposed system can be accessed from smartphone or iPhone that allows students to do practice their Bengali handwriting at anytime and anywhere. Bengali is a multi-stroke input characters with extremely long cursive shaped where it has stroke order variability and stroke direction variability. Due to this structural limitation, recognition speed is a crucial issue to apply traditional online handwriting recognition algorithm for Bengali language learning. In this work, we have adopted hierarchical recognition approach to improve the recognition speed that makes our system adaptable for web-based language learning. We applied writing speed free recognition methodology together with hierarchical recognition algorithm. It ensured the learning of all aged population, especially for children and older national. The experimental results showed that our proposed hierarchical recognition algorithm can provide higher accuracy than traditional multi-stroke recognition algorithm with more writing variability.

According to Krashen's affective filter hypothesis, students who are highly motivated have a strong sense of self, enter a learning context with a low level of anxiety, and are much more likely to become successful language acquirers than those who do not. Affective factors, such as motivation, attitude, and anxiety, have a direct impact on foreign language acquisition. Horwitz et al. (1986) mentioned that many language learners feel anxious when learning foreign languages. Thus, this study recruits 100 college students to fill out the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) to investigate language learning anxiety. Then, this study designs and develops an affective tutoring system (ATS) to conduct an empirical study. The study aims to improve students’ learning interest by recognizing their emotional states during their learning processes and provide adequate feedback. It is expected to enhance learners' motivation and interest via affective instructional design and then improve their learning performance.

A wise man said that "you will never be a pious when you never feel loneliness", because loneliness can be used as an indicator of someone's level of piety. In loneliness, the awareness of God’s existence can be felt, because in loneliness a person will not be affected by motives that come from the encouragement or motivation of the other persons’ prensence. Meanwhile someone’s piety which is shown in the public, according to the author it is very difficult to assess the real of sincerity. There are thousands motives when someone do observance in the middle of the social communities. This research used a qualitative research method with phenomenological research tradition, in the terms of Lindlof (1995:27) it is called as an interpretive paradigm which is refered to the communication research with qualitative methods that perform the tradition of phenomenology, ethnometodology, symbolic interaction, ethnography and cultural studies.

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah menelaah peningkatan kemampuan koneksi dan komunikasi matematik siswa SMP yang diterapkan pembelajaran kontekstual berbantuan program Geometer’s Sketchpad dibandingkan dengan siswa yang diterapkan pembelajaran konvensional, keterkaitan antara kemampuan koneksi dan komunikasi matematis, sikap siswa terhadap pembelajaran kontekstual berbantuan program Geometer’s Sketchpad, dan aktivitas siswa selama pembelajaran kontekstual berbantuan program Geometer’s Sketchpad berlangsung. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain quasi eksperimen dengan kelompok kontrol pretes dan postes. Kelompok eksperimen memperoleh pembelajaran kontekstual berbantuan program Geometer’s Sketchpad dan kelompok kontrol memperoleh pembelajaran konvensional. Untuk mendapatkan data hasil penelitian digunakan instrumen berupa tes kemampuan koneksi, komunikasi matematis dan lembar observasi. Subjek penelitian siswa SMP Negeri 3 Tangerang di Propinsi Banten dengan subjek sampel adalah siswa kelas VII sebanyak dua kelas dari sepuluh kelas yang ada dipilih secara acak. Hasil dari penelitian ini yaitu: (1)Terdapat perbedaan peningkatan kemampuan koneksi dan komunikasi matematik antara kelompok siswa yang belajar dengan menggunakan pendekatan kontekstual dibandingkan dengan siswa yang belajar dengan pendekatan konvensional; (2) Terdapat korelasi positif yang cukup antara kemampuan koneksi dan komunikasi matematik siswa; (3) Pembelajaran dengan menggunakan pendekatan kontekstual memperlihatkan motivasi dan keterlibatan siswa yang baik sehingga terbangun suatu masyarakat belajar dengan suasana yang kondusif.

This study aims to find out enhancement of students’ mathematical reflective thinking ability through knowledge sharing learning strategy in Senior High School. The method of study used quasi experiment by non-equivalent control group design. The population of this study are eighth grader students of Senior High School in Tangerang City, Banten Province. Sampling technique used cluster random sampling with the numbers of students are 140 students. The instruments used in the form prior mathematical knowledge test and mathematical reflective thinking ability test. Data analysis are done by requisite test, namely data normality test (Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z Test) and homogeneity test (Levene Test). The statistic analysis of the data was conducted with one-way ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, and Scheffe Test. The results of study are as follows: (1) there is enhancement difference of mathematical reflective thinking ability of the students learning with knowledge sharing strategy and conventional learning; (2) there is enhancement difference of mathematical reflective thinking ability between students learning with knowledge sharing strategy (KSS) and conventional learning based on school level and prior mathematical knowledge (MPK) of students (higher, middle, lower); (3) The interaction between learning strategy (KSS) and prior mathematical knowledge (higher, middle, lower) influenced student’s enhancement of mathematical reflective thinking ability.