Problem Based Learning Method in Teaching Young Learners: Differences

between Experienced and Novice Teachers

Universitas Islam Malang

ABSTRACT
This research is aimed to find the differences between experienced and novice teachers in
implementing Problem Based Learning (PBL). The researchers took the data from two different
teachers. For the experienced teacher tha data was took from Ms. Nur Hayyu Aglaini, the
English teacher who has been teaching for 5 years at the EYL level. For the novice teacher the
data was took from Ms. Febriana Eka Wardani, the English teacher who has been teaching for 2
years st the EYL level. To gain the data, the researchers use qualitative method and for the
instrument used was an interview. The results showed that there are a significant differences. The
experienced teacher More focused on the character of the students while The novice teacher
focused more on how learning continues to run smoothly in the classroom. In solving problems
when applying PBL the two teachers also have different ways. For the experienced teacher, she
focuses more on the character of each student to be given tasks that match the character of the
student. As for the novice teacher, she prefers to change the learning method at that time if the
atmosphere in the classroom is no longer conducive.

Keywords : Problem Based Learning, Experienced and Novice teachers

INTRODUCTION
Along with the rapid development of the times, education also experiences all kinds of learning
efforts to improve the quality of learning, students, and teachers. These efforts require students to
think critically while on learning. To be able to catch up with this competent era, it must
certainly be applied since the students in elementary school, especially English. Another
designation is English Young Learners. Taking advantage of the high sense of curiosity,
interesting learning will feel more enjoyable. In addition, such an effort step can make learning
more contextual, linking the material to everyday life so that students better understand the
content of the lesson and discover the benefits of learning it. Learning English is not only
knowing concepts and theories, but also doing things, putting things into practice, knowing the
benefits and objectives learned, knowing and solving problems related to the material being
studied. These things can certainly be obtained learning with the Problem Based Learning
approach.
Problem Based Learning (PBL) is an approach that helps students to find a problem, especially
from a real activities, collecting information through strategies that they design and determine for
themselves to make a conclusion and a decision that is presented by students. Howard Barrows
created the Problem Based-Learning learning style for the first time in the early 1970s while
researching medical education at Southern Illinois University. This approach has the
characteristic of using small groups as a context for learning, they themselves will find,
determine and infer the results of the information obtained from collecting information. This
PBL method is predicted to be able to improve students in critical thinking, so that when learning
takes place, their minds are well optimized. Students can empower, hone, test, and develop their
thinking skills on an ongoing basis.
The more often teachers use the PBL approach, the more accustomed EYL students become
accustomed and easily stimulate their brains to always think critically in every English material
taught. The different intellectual abilities of the students become difficulties faced by teachers
when teaching using the PBL approach. Each teachers certainly has a different experience when
teaching using PBL. The experience gained by novice teachers are far less than that of
experience teachers. The difficulties felt by novice teachers are also still felt so that they often
experience incompatibility using the PBL approach with students who are also still not used to it.
In contrast to experience teachers who already know the characteristics of the students well so
that they can easily manage the course of learning with the students.
Therefore, this research will focus on the differences between senior teachers and junior teachers
when teaching PBL methods at English Young Learners. Find out what are the problems when
using the PBL method and the differences in their strategies in dealing with the problems that
occur.

METHOD

This study was carried out between novice and experienced teacher. To collect the data, the
researchers was used a qualitative method. According to Creswell (2012), qualitative research is a
means for exploring and understanding the meaning individuals or groups ascribe to a social human
problem. For novice teachers we took the data using interviews with the object is a teacher who
has only been teaching for 2 years. The teacher is Febriana Eka Wardani who teaches English
lessons at MI Miftahul Ulum Tirtomoyo, Malang For experienced teachers we took the data from
a teacher named Nur Hayyu Aglaini who is a teacher of MI Islamiyah in the Sukun area, Malang.
Previously he was a teacher at Al Irsyad Kraksaan Junior High School for 3 years, before that he
was also a teacher at SDN Sukomulyo for 2 years. So the total teaching years he has lived for 6
[Link] instrument used is in the form of questions that will answer the research questions that
have been formulated previously.
FINDING & DISCUSSION
The result of this study has shown that, according to the speakers, the thing felt when teaching
EYL is that teachers need more energy in handling their students. Not the material problem but
the difficulty in conditioning the class because EYL is more active. As teachers, we also have to
know personal and inter-friend problems. So looking at the mood of the students. With the
existing conditions, it can be determined which media is suitable to be taught so that students do
not feel bored in learning
The difficulty experienced by novice teachers is also the same, namely in conditioning students
to remain conducive and focused on the material. Pleasant, not too much concerned with the
structure of the language. Focus on how to make the students understand English easily. Not on
the importance of the material but focusing on character to stimulate students' memory. Focus
more on introduction in general and apply English for fun without any demands to have to
understand the material. For grades 1-3 focus expects memory stimulation because it is still in
transition. In teaching EYL Apply 4 points in English (speaking, listening, writing, reading).
In implementing PBL, teachers certainly often experience problems. According from the
experienced teacher, one of the problems that arises is the condition of EYL which is too active
in the class so that the application of PBL is not optimal. Students also often have difficulty in
solving given problems so that PBL is less effective if used at the EYL level. Otherwise,the
novice teacher stated that, the PBL method is less effective if applied in EYL because the
learning process with the PBL method takes a lot of time, the students also have difficulties in
this method.
To solve the problem in implementing PBL, these two teachers have their own ways. For the
experienced teacher, she gives an assignments to students differently based on the student's
character. So success in implementing PBL also depends on the character of each student.
Meanwhile, for the novice teacher stated that if the situation in the classroom is no longer
conducive and the students cannot follow the method, the teacher immediately spontaneously
changes the learning method.

CONCLUSION
From the study, it can be concluded that,experienced teacher focuses more on the character that
each student has in using the learning method because according to him, a learning method can
be said to be successful if students in the classroom can participate in learning conducively. The
limited age that is young and well-known to be effective makes the PBL learning method
considered less effective if applied at the EYL level. Not much different from the previous
speaker, the novice teacher also thinks that PBL is not effectively used at the EYL level because
according to him, students in grades 1 - 3 are still learning to process memory stimuli because
they are still in transition.
In solving problem both teacher have their own ways. It can be seen that the experienced teacher
better to understand the character of the students. In contrast with the novice teacher, she
spontaneously changing the learning methods.
For the further researcher that will conduct the research in the same field, they can develop this research
and use it as the reference.

REFERENCES
Prasad Mohan, Parmeshwar. (2016). A study on novice and experienced teacher
percepions of professional develoment in Fiji. Wifi Malcolm Institute of
Educational. ISSN: 2382-0373

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