Climate Variables for Meaningful Learning Process

Sampoerna School of Education (afterward SSE) has a program called School Experience Program (afterward SEP) that enables the students to feel the real experience of teaching in the classroom setting since . It gives the opportunity for SSE students to apply the theory about teaching in the real classroom setting. However, as one of SSE students who have done SEP, I found it hard to apply all of the theory since there were a lot of factors that perhaps I ignored. One of the problems I most encounter is the students were no likely to be involved in the learning activity I provided. It seemed they were not motivated to complete the task I gave for them. Yet, I know now, after attending Motivation and Management of Students for Effective Learning (afterward MMSEL) class, that teachers are not only required providing learning activity and materials but also creating an atmosphere that motivates students to learn.

There are four climate variables to be considered in creating motivating environment in the classroom: Order and Safety, Success, Challenge and Task Comprehension.

Order and Safety refers to a climate variable that enables students to predict learning activity because they know the order. Moreover, Order and Safety climate variable provide the feeling of secured for students so that they can learn comfortably. Success is also a climate variable which requires teacher to  develop students’ self-efficacy.  Teacher should be able to provide opportunity for every student in the classroom to accomplish an achievement such as completing the task. Then, it requires teacher to provide various activity that can promote success for every student. Challenge is a climate variable that is increasing students’ perception of competence. If students succeed on challenging task, their self-efficacy will increase. Teacher should provide activities that challenge the students. If they are complaining about difficult task, teacher should provide scaffolding to encourage students for completing the challenge instead of decreasing the challenge. The last is Task Comprehension. It is about increasing feeling of autonomy and value. Teacher is needed to explain the goal and aim of learning. If students know the goal and the reason why they need to learn, the learning process will be meaningful for them and long lasting.

After learning this topic in MMSEL course, I realize that these factors were neglected by me. That is why the students seemed like unwilling to be involved in the activity I have provided. However, theories usually talk about the ideal one, so does this one. One of these variables could be missing. Yet, it is not impossible to have all of these variables as long as the teacher has sufficient ability for maintaining it.

Reflecting on my experience when I did SEP, I did not create Success, Challenge and Task Comprehension climate variable. All I had was Order and Safety. This is crystal clear that my students did not want to put attention or participate actively. As the result, I was often disappointed because the learning process did not go well as I expected. In conclusion, it is very important not only to have active learners but also effective teacher in order to create meaningful and motivating learning environment that encourage students to be actively involved in the learning process.