ACADEMIC WRITING

THE TRENDS AND ISSUES OF TEACHING TOWARD THE 2013

CURRICULUM

AMIRATUR RAUDHAH
1502050107
VII- B Morning

FACULTY OF TEACHER’S TRAINING AND EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF MUHAMMADIYAH SUMATERA UTARA
MEDAN
2018
 A. BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The term curriculum refers to the lessons and academic content taught in
a school or in a specific course or program. In dictionaries, curriculum is often
defined as the courses offered by a school, but it is rarely used in such a general
sense in schools. Depending on how broadly educators define or employ the
term, curriculum typically refers to the knowledge and skills students are expected
to learn, which includes the learning standards or learning objectives they are
expected to meet; the units and lessons that teachers teach; the assignments and
projects given to students; the books, materials, videos, presentations, and
readings used in a course; and the tests, assessments, and other methods used to
evaluate student learning. An individual teacher’s curriculum, for example, would
be the specific learning standards, lessons, assignments, and materials used to
organize and teach a particular course.
According to Slattery (2006) Curriculum should be developed time by
times to the postmodern curriculum that is radically eclectic, determined in the
context of relatedness, recursive in its complexity, autobiographically intuitive,
aesthetically intersubjective, embodied, phenomenological, experiential,
simultaneously quantum and cosmic, hopeful in its constructive dimension,
radical in its deconstructive movement, liberating in its poststructural intents,
empowering in its spirituality, ironic in its kaleidoscopic sensibilities, and
ultimately, a hermeneutic searchfor greater understanding that motivates and
satisfies us on the journey. In Indonesia, curriculumchanges. In Indonesia, the
curriculum changes according to the era. Previously, school schools in Indonesia
applied the KTSP 2006, and all schools applied the curriculum to the learning
process and teaching in the classroom. But along with the times and globalization
era, the government changed the 2006 KTSP curriculum to Curriculum 2013.
Because the 2013 curriculum has criteria that is in accordance with the
development of the times. Because 2013 curriculum has a good impact on
students in the learning process and makes teachers more creative in the teaching
process in school.
In essence, the 2013 curriculum is very good for students and teachers if
the curriculum is properly implemented in the learning process in school. 2013
curriculum requires teachers to be more creative and innovative in the teaching
process so as to trigger students to be more creative in thinking and overcoming
problems related to learning. But based on the reality, many schools did not apply
the 2013 curriculum correctly, there were only a few schools applying the
curriculum only a little, and even a number of schools did not implement the
curriculum and still applied the 2006 KTSP curriculum. It is not able to apply the
2013 curriculum perfectly. And the most important problem for the application of
the 2013 curriculum is the lack of spiritual morals, the culture of reading and
research is still low. If this main problem can be overcome or minimized, then
other problems, issues, and constraints can be eliminated or minimized over time.

B. METHOD OF THE STUDY

This research refers to descriptive qualitative method. According to
Sandelowski, qualitative descriptive research should be seen as a categorical, as
opposed to a non-categorical, alternative for inquiry; is less interpretive than an
‘interpretive description’ approach because it does not require the researcher to
move as far from or into the data; and, does not require a conceptual or highly
abstract rendering of the data, compared to other qualitative designs.

C. FINDING AND DISCUSSION

Suryabrata (1994: 60), argues that the problem is the gap between
expectations (das sollen) and reality (das sein), between needs and those available,
between what should (what should be) and what is there (what it is). The function
of the research is to cover the gap (what can be). In this writing the author has
found various findings or solutions. These findings are the result of answers that
will be a solution to the problems in this paper. The problems are those that relate
to trends and issues of teaching toward the 2013 curicullum.
1. Lack of Spiritual morals
It cannot let the nation's moral damage continue, efforts must be made to
overcome it. According to the author there are a number of things we must do to
overcome this, including:
 a. Strengthening faith or faith in God by giving religious advice, both done at
home, campus and society, so that they are always bound and willing to
adjust to God's provisions.
b. Implanting a close feeling to God, so that wherever we are, wherever we
go and whatever the circumstances and conditions we will always feel
watched by God. With this, it will make us not dare to deviate from His
path.
c. Creating a religious environment, both through reading material, spectacle
and social environment, so that the influence of the environment will make
people formed into people who have a religious personality.
d. Growing the responsibility for developing da'wah mandates by continuing
to strive to be the best in behaving and behaving in various aspects of
family life, community and nationhood.

2. Lack of The Culture of Reading

Actually, there is a lack of interest in reading especially among young
people, especially those who live in urban areas, not because of facilities but lack
of awareness and reading culture. For those who live in cities, they must be very
easy to find books, either buy or borrow from the library. Now, this awareness
and culture of reading books need to be improved.
In my opinion, the method we use in this school is very good for improving
the reading culture among elementary school students. Here are four methods we
use:
a. SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) Method
Sustained Silent Reading Continuing is a very effective way to increase
reading interest. Children bring storybooks every day and read them while
studying English and Indonesian. Before the teaching and learning process begins,
children are given 15-20 minutes to read a book. Then, they write a reading report
containing the book title and the number of pages read during the time given.
Then, the teacher checks or gives initials. After finishing reading a book, students
write a reading log or book summary containing characters, plot, place and time
settings and brief reviews according to the book being read. This is given to
ascertain whether the child actually reads the book that was taken during the SSR.
b. Reading Challenge Method
The method of reading challenge or reading challenge I am applying in
the current class and is running. The way is students are challenged to read 15
books for one semester (July-December) and make a report or reading log. The
first three students who managed to read 15 books will get a prize for reading
books from their teacher. Meanwhile, students who succeed in reading 15 books
in the next sequence will get other prizes such as stationery or bookmarks. Yes,
this method must be a little willing to sacrifice to buy the presents. However, for a
more advanced Indonesia, I am challenged to do so. Now, as a teacher, I don't just
order students. I also challenged reading 15 books in this semester. Well, this
method is very effective to increase students and teachers' reading interest.
3. Research Is Still Low
The Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education
(Kemenristekditi) continues to interest for both students and lecturers. Because,
according to the Director General of Technology and Higher Education
Resources, Ali Ghuffron, the number of research in Indonesia is still low.
"So by reading, it will increase interest in writing. Because, writing is
still rare. In 2015 alone, the writings of Indonesians published in journals were
only 5,499, while Malaysia was 25,530, Singapore 17,000, and Thailand 12,000,"
Ali Ghuffron said at Atmajaya Unika Jakarta during the Implementation of the
Collection of Book Collections Ben and Nafsiah Mboi on Thursday (08/16/2018).
Previously, the Minister of Research, Technology and Higher Education
Mohamad Nasir claimed that the number of publications of research results of
Indonesian researchers in international journals as of July 2018 had exceeded
Singapore.
"In 2018 per July, Indonesia is 13,250, Singapore is 12,450. That means
we are already above Singapore," Nasir said in Jakarta, Tuesday (07/10/2018), as
quoted by Antara.
Previously, he said, Indonesia was ranked fourth in scientific publications
in the Southeast Asia region, namely below Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.
 He explained, the publication of Indonesian research researchers in 2015
was still around 5,400 journals. While Thailand publishes around 9,500
researches. But in 2017, said Nasir, Indonesia managed to excel from Thailand
with a total of 18,500 journals, while Thailand had 16,200 journals.

D. CONCLUSION
This paper has benefits that are very useful in the world of education,
especially about the 2013 curriculum. This article is useful for schools that want
to implement the perfect 2013 curriculum but still have little understanding of the
application of the 2013 curriculum. Through this paper, these schools can apply
the findings of this paper so that the schools are able to apply the 2013 curriculum
in its entirety. That way, students are able to compete with other students and
deliver qualified future generations.

REFERENCES
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Teaching throughthe Teachers and PolicymakersPerspectives.Journal of
Enhanced Research in Educational Development. Faculty of Education
and Teaching Science, Alauddin State Islamic University, Makassar,
South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Alsubaie, Merfat Ayesh. 2016. Curriculum Development: Teacher Involvement

in Curriculum Development. Journal of Education and Practice. Faculty
of Education College, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia

Hamid, Hamdani. Pengembangan Kurikulum Pendidikan. Surabaya: Pustaka

Media, 2012.

Sanjaya, Wina. Kurikulum dan Pembelajaran. Jakarta: Kencana, 2008.