CROSS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING EDUCATIONAL ATTITUDE

Background

English as a second language programs that are solely language oriented cannot fully assist foreign and immigrant students to understand and adapt to important cultural differences of the host country. It purposes, which is directed to intermediate and advanced students.

Cross Cultural Understanding is the subject that learns about the differences culture in each country. It tells about the custom, culture, behavior, and life from a country such as United States that use English as their language.

There are many topics in this subject to increase our knowledge about the culture in United States. They are introduction, verbal patterns, nonverbal communication, personal relationships, and family values. Besides that, there are also the topics that related with previous topic. They are educational attitude, work values, time and space pattern, cultural conflict, and cultural adjustment.

In this paper we explained about “Educational Attitude” as our topic because education is one of aspects that important and had an effect on development from a country. It reputed as determinant of the quality to human resources. Favorable or unfavorable of an educational attitude can see by means of the result from human resources’ quality.

Each country has educational attitude that different another to development the quality from their human resources such as in United States and Indonesian. The differences of their educational attitude are interest to we know and learn. We want to know how educational attitude that has been decided in United States until make this country is able to being one of developed country in the world. I also want to compare the differences of education system in these countries which make they have much differences in their development.

Educational Attitude

A.           Diversity in Education

1.             In United States

There is considerable variety in classrooms for each university in the United States. No two courses are identical. It is caused teaching methods and curricula are diverse. There are considerable different between undergraduate and graduate courses. In the classroom is expensive for it atmosphere, private universities may differ from that in community college. Although costlier, private universities ogled by people capable as private universities generally have the image of bourgeois and elite. About quality, there may be little difference, but not too significant. Whereas, community college university which are free and open to everyone.

2.             In Indonesia

Indonesia’s education system has distinctive features, namely the majors since high school are science and social. And unfortunately, prestige science stream is better than social. But still, the Indonesian education system does not respect the students themselves because this system. Students is a wildcard, a novice who has not obtained a job and allocates the skill point. With their majors, then turn right school students to choose what they like.

Generally, teaching method and curricula in schools or universities are same each other. Government has been decided teaching method and curricula which have to use by all of teacher in every school and universities. It usually changes after a year or more than. It is being used by almost of education system in each college. Although not all of them has same facilities and situations. Every region has diversity to face each problem especially educational.

Besides that, In Indonesian, private universities are generally not very well known, unless it had great names or that have a high level of achievement. Most of people prefer the public universities because the cost is cheaper than private. When it comes to quality, private universities in Indonesian generally have little problems. The perceptions that private universities have less quality than public universities. However, all of them are same. It depends to teaching method in the class. How the teachers do something to make their students have a good quality.

B.            Active Participants

1.             In United States

Participation in the classroom is not only accepted but also expected of the student in many courses. Some professors base part of the final grade on the student’s oral participation. Although there are formal lectures during which the students has a passive role. Many courses are organized around classroom discussions, student questions, and informal lectures. In graduate seminars the professor has a ‘managerial’ role the students make presentations and lead discussions. The students do the actual teaching in these seminars.

Some professors prefer to control discussion while others prefer to guide the class without dominating it. Students who make assertions that contradict the professor’s point of view should be prepared to substantiate their positions.

2.             In Indonesia

There are many students in a classroom. The teachers have difference way how to teach and apply their subject for their students. For example, they make presentations and discussions. They divided into some groups which have to able had pat the material of their subject. But, just a few of they can do it. It also when they work together to done their assignments with the members of their groups. Just some member that try to do it, another only hope to them. So they do not understand about their material.

When discussion in the classroom, there are so many students that join to it. But to be the active participant they still less interest. Almost of them just be good listener. Although the teachers have been give chance to their student to give questions or comment. But the students do not use the chance. Moreover, if the teacher does not write their name in the paper when they asking or comment. They just want use the chance if the teacher will give good score to them.

C.           The Teacher-Student Relationship

1.             In United States

Many instructors believe that an informal, relaxed classroom environment is conducive to learning and innovation. The casual professors are not necessarily a poor one and still respected by students. Although students may be in a subordinate position, some professors treat them as equals.

Professors may establish social relationships with students outside of the classroom, but in the classrooms they maintain the instructor’s role. They have several roles in relation to students; they may be counselors and friends as well as teachers. Students must realize that when a teacher’s role changes, they must appropriately adapt their behavior and attitude.

2.             In Indonesia

There are many schools or universities in Indonesia. It means, almost of societies are teachers and students. They usually have same places. But they have different work. Relationship between them should good. But, some students have bad thing that they do to their teachers. They do not realize that their parents ask to them in learning knowledge. Sometimes the students also not obey to teacher’s rule. They only want get good score without study hard. They dissatisfied if their teachers give bad scores to them.

Teacher and student have to make relationship not only in the class room, but also out of class room. When in the class teacher will explain about the subject and the student accept it as knowledge for them. Even out class room the relationship of teachers and students may be like as friendship. They can be sharing about their experience each other. It can make the relation will better than just only in the classrooms. But, this matter seldom will see in Indonesian. Both of them only make a relationship which related about subject and academy in school or universities.

Besides that, the students also less appreciate to their teacher. Sometimes their teacher put down as their friends without see the situation around them. They feel if their teacher is people who just needed to appreciate when they are in the classroom. But, when outside of the classroom they not do it. So, the relationships of them have to be good relationship and still need to increase time by time.

D.           Independent Learning

1.             In United States

The ideal students are considered to be one who is motivated to learn for the sake of learning, not the one interested only in getting high grades. Sometimes homework is returned with brief written comments but without a grade. Even if a grade is not given, the students are responsible for learning the material assigned.

When research assigned, the professor expects the students to take the initiative and to complete the assignment with minimal guidance. They will help students who need it, but prefer that their students not be overly dependent on them. They also have other duties besides teaching. In addition, they may be obliged to publish articles and books. Therefore, the time that a professor can spend with a student outside of class is limited.

2.             In Indonesia

The education system in Indonesia is too stressed to the theory. Indeed, the school or universities have laboratories, but not always used. Academically, they are good, but once ordered to do practice, they are desperate. When their teacher or lecturer give assignment to them, some students try to done it with cheat to their friends. They often do it by their self. Whereas their teacher has been asking to them for work it by them without have to cheat or plagiarizing. But they still have not self-confidence to try it by their self. It means their skill in learning will not increase. They also less in reading education books. They prefer read novel or magazines about their idols than read new information about their subject.

The teachers less attention or care to their students in learning independent. They just give assignment to them and less control if their students cheating with their friends’ assignments. Some teachers only control what their students has collect their assignment or not. They just thumb through. Seldom of them who see into millstone. So that is way the quality of people that job still very wistfully.

The students also less attention to increase their knowledge. They just study and find in their school or universities. They try to find new things if they were given assignments by their teacher. It just makes them want to get high score without improve their knowledge. Whereas it was given as one of medium to improve their skill and knowledge in specific subjects.

E.            The Honor System

1.             In United States

The “honor system “imposed by the teacher and the university, demands that the student be honest in all areas of school work. Many students are also aware that they can jeopardize their rapport with fellow students if they are dishonest. Students who cheat may lose the respect of other students, particularly these who study for exam and work independently.

2.             In Indonesia

Cheating on test and plagiarizing in written work is a behavior that Indonesian students usually do in their study process. These dishonesties have been viewed as usual behavior for almost of the students in Indonesian. They do not have a little guilt in their self. Education cavities side has been try to give socialization process for students that their acts only make loss to their self and their environment. Teachers and lecturers also always warn off do it to their students every teaching process. Various rules have been making too that related these culture. But, the applications of it still less. It caused just a few of students that realize about that, almost of them all the better choose this culture to get good score.

In addition, the ‘honor system’ is usually something that does not have strictly enforced rules teaching its students. In Indonesian, it has meaning for each teachers or students. Honor system is usually made in the first meeting lecturer and students. It makes as agree and disagree between them. But it only obeys by the students just a moment. After many meeting also of them began to forget and forget it.

F.            Competition

1.             In United States

Relationship between students in the classroom can be cooperative or competitive. Therefore, in classes where such a grading “curve” is used, students may be reluctant to share lecture notes or information for fear that their own grades will suffer. Another reason for the presence of competition among students. A high grade point average is needed for entrance to superior graduate schools. Students feel pressure to achieve high grade when there are relatively few openings in graduate programs. Ultimately, it is the students who are responsible for succeeding in this competitive system.

2.             In Indonesia

Almost not has main purpose for education system to make strength it positions in prepare to compete the quality of human resources. Almost cannot see too the real work to repaired learning process, research, and try to build power for make competition with foreign education.

Faster learning process also viewed as a lucky to education system which then born new business is acceleration class. Until now it has impact that still is controversial. For education business person in finishing study early than other with product quickest graduated viewed as be able to get result that are bigger than conventional method. It is because circulation of student as consumer between passes and new be faster until profit also followed automatically.

Besides that, Relationships between students in the classroom tend to bandwagon. Indonesian students also should be able cooperative or competitive. But, almost of them just want to graduated earlier than others. They do not care the quality of their education. Although the real competition in job is not only have graduated, but also has real competence in their self. However, the education in Indonesian has make this rule, but there are still not has good quality which get good job. It caused almost of people here only want their families can work together. So, the competition in Indonesia is still not making reality, yet.