LIFE LABORATORY PROGRAM FOR ELEMENTARY SCIENCE HANDS ON ACTIVITIES (STRATEGIES AND INVESTIGATION IDEAS FOR SEMI URBAN SCHOOLS)

Abstract

In learning, children have to be actively involved in meaningful and direct experiences. This classic idea advocates teachers to develop active hands-on involvement of children in their own learning. To achieve meaningful and direct experiences, children may be involved in laboratory instruction approach, which not only done in a room setting, but also in a natural surroundings. But unfortunately, some teacher as a facilitator of learning process doesn’t optimally use natural environmental as sources, medium, and places for scientific investigation. Whereas most of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (Islamic elementary school)in district area is located in an area with natural conditions that support to be explored. Teachers can develop a learning program that utilizes natural environment as a living laboratory. This study is a qualitative study that aimed to describe the program as part of science learning activities in Madrasah Ibtidaiyah in semi-urban environment. This typical school setting is a form the most madrasah ibtidaiyah in kabupaten Ponorogo. So, the purposes of this study are: 1)describing the living laboratory program's strategies for typical school, which include: the role of the teacher, the student's role, structure, stress, print materials, and manipulative materials; 2)analyzing investigation idea based on national curriculum for elementary science learning. Data for this study were obtained from various sources literary form of the book as well as the results of previous research on science learning which utilizing natural environment. Condition or the nature of madrasah in semi urban areas was obtained from observations and interviews as well as from school documents or the results of previous studies. The data were analyzed using qualitative data analysis using interactive model analysis technique developed by Miles and Huberman, consisting of three components of activities that are related to one another: data reduction, data display, and conclusion. The results of this study can be used by primary schools or madrasah ibtidaiyah, especially those in semi-urban areas, as a reference in developing science learning programs to take advantage of the surrounding environment. The results of this study can be further investigated to be applied and proved its effectiveness in schools learning process.