Portrait Of Information Literacy Skills Of Kindergarten Teachers In Indonesia

Sri Tatminingsih and Denny Setiawan

Universitas Terbuka (tatmi@ut.ac.id)

(Surveys in 10 Big Cities in Indonesia, in the year of  2009-2010)

ABSTRACT

This study aims to get a general picture of information literacy skills of kindergarten teachers in Indonesia. Information literacy skill is a set of skills to identify, locate, evaluate, organize, create, use and communicate information to others, in order to settle and find a way out of a problem. For the purposes of this study a survey was conducted on kindergarten teachers in the city of Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, Serang, Surabaya, Semarang, Medan, Yogyakarta, Makassar and Denpasar, with totally 491 people chosen randomly as respondents. The instrument used in this survey is a questionnaire containing closed and open questions. The collected data were analyzed by performing a percentage of the number of the answering of a question or statement. The results were described in descriptive analysis. The results show that more than 59% of respondents own information and telecommunication equipments (such as mobile phones, computers, television, radio, newspapers /magazines, internet). Meanwhile, more than 60% of respondents can operate and use the equipments but mostly (> 60%) used them just for entertainments and communicating with others included those in social networking. The use of information and telecommunication equipments as learning and teaching resources particularly the use of the internet as a source of learning, is still in a very small number that is less than 15% of the respondents. While more than 70% respondents stated that they acquired the ability to use these ICT tools was through learning by themselves or from next of kin. The respondents have expectations that they can have a training on the use of ICT and facilities that are easily accessed   correspond to their ability so that they can develop themselves individually without having to rely on others.

Key words: information Literacy Skills, Indonesia earlychildhood education teachers

INTRODUCTION

Nowadays, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has developed rapidly. It causes a positive as well as a negative impact. Positively, every person can receive information from various resources without barrier, but negatively, almost without filter.  Hence, anybody needs to select which information is useful and can satisfy his/her needs of information. To successfully having desired information, someone needs to comprehend information literacy. Information literacy can be defined as a serial of skills needed to identify, find, evaluate, arrange, create, use and communicate information to someone else in order to accomplish tasks and solve problems. The implementation of information literacy will be easily if someone has particular skills, such as 1) recognize his/her need for information 2) know how to handle information gaps 3) build a strategy for seeking information 5) compare and evaluate received information 6) organize, apply, and communicate information to others 7) synthesize and create new information.

A rapid Information and Technology (IT) development can be seen, such as, through the appearance of hardware and software in market created in various models and prices to satisfy the needs of information completely, accurately, quickly, easily, and cheaply, without space and time limitation. As a consequence, the need to master IT utilization has become crucial. Some factors are responsible for this situation, such as: 1) high competition in global market which causing the speed of having information becomes crucial for individual successful 2) market that changed rapidly needs to be anticipated by using IT 3) Up to date science and technology development pursues the use of IT optimally 4) Easy access for building relationship is badly needed for individual or organizational development 5) IT has become a trend in global era life.      

The facts tell us the crucial of information literacy skills for someone to make him/her able to win competitions in global era.

Information literacy should be mastered by people who are engaging in education since they are in junior high school.  However, not just junior high school students, even most of university students have no information literacy skills. Ironically, the main goal of education is to make people skillful in making the best use of information. To be able to be information literate, someone at least needs to have following skills: determine the scope of information needed, access information effectively, evaluate information and its sources critically, use information appropriate to his/her goals.       

It is clear that in education the ability of information literacy is essential and it must be mastered by any learners. The ability of information literacy is like a "hook for fishing" for students so that they can do self-learning (students' freedom to learn). Learners should learn a method for browsing information from various sources of information that continues to evolve. There would be no one today that is able to follow all existing information. For instant, today offices produce 2.7 billion documents per year and one million publications each year. Therefore, information literacy is a valuable provision for the achievement of lifelong learning..

Open University (UT) is the only State University in Indonesia that organize Distance Education. Distance education is characterized by a physical separation between teachers and students. Therefore, UT’s learning systems require students to study independently. Self-learning requires students to learn with their own initiative. UT provides teaching materials that are made specifically to be studied independently. In addition to using the materials, students can use multi-media learning resources such as Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) and Audio-Visual programs..

Early childhood teachers as the target of UT particularly PGPAUD S1 Program (Bachelor of Early Childhood Teacher Education Program) are also expected to have literacy skills. These skills will be beneficial for themselves as a teacher as well as a student.

Based on the rational that is described above, this research was conducted, which is aimed at getting a picture of literacy skills possessed by early childhood teachers, especially kindergarten and preschool teachers and how they utilize IT as a professional early childhood teacher.

DISCUSSION

The research was conducted in year 2009-2010 by using survey method with closed and opened-ended questions questionnaire. 500 copies of the questionnaires were distributed randomly to early childhood teachers in ten major urban areas in Indonesia, namely Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, Serang, Surabaya, Semarang, Medan, Yogyakarta, Makassar and Denpasar, and were sent back 491 copies to the researchers. All of them are eligible for further analysis. The reason for taking the samples randomly is because it is assumed that big cities have many kindergartens and play groups.

56% of respondents were in the age of 29-35 years, 21 % in the age above 35 years, 19% in the age of 23 to 28 years and 14 % were 17 to 22 years old. Largely respondents worked in Kindergarten that is 86%. Meanwhile 11% worked in playgroup and 3% worked in day care. Most respondents, that is 35%, had experience of teaching more than 15 years, 34% between 11-15 years, 16% between 6 to 10 years and 12% under five years. Other data related to the identity of the respondents is about their education, namely 96% of respondents were from high school or equivalent diploma.

          

THE RESULT OF THE STUDY

Data about the ownership of information and telecommunication equipments by the respondents indicated that only 1% of respondents who do not have mobile phone and 68% of respondents have more than one hand phone. Besides the ownership of mobile phones, the results showed that 38% of respondents do not have computer either PC or laptop, 20% do not have a radio, 8% do not have a television set and 30% do not subscribe to newspaper / magazine / tabloid but 75% of respondents often buy books. The results also showed that only 34% of respondents who subscribe to the internet. From these data, only 2% of respondents who do not have a cell phone, radio, television and did not subscribe to the newspaper / magazine / tabloid and Internet.

Literacy skills who owned by the respondents can be described as follows.

The Use of Computer.

88% of respondents state that they can use computers, 63% know and understand the menu on the computer while 37% do not understand the menu, 67% of they who understand the menu,  use some small part of the menu, 18% use most of the menu, and 5% use all of the menu. 28% of they who are able to use computer, learned the computer from course, 24% were self-learning, 15% learned from others (friends or internet cafe), 23% learned from families and 10% learned from other sources. 88% use computers to type and create lesson plans. The rest use computers to draw or create learning media.

The use of Hand phone

Almost all respondents (97%) stated that they can use their own hand phone. 92 % of the respondents know all menu on their hand phone. 61 % of the respondents can utilize all menu on their hand phone.  20 % of the respondents can only use their phone just for making a call and receiving as well as sending a short message service.

9 % of the respondents can use hand phone by going to a course. 32 % of the respondents learned from their friends. 52 % of the respondents did a self learning to be able to operate their hand phone. 5 % of the respondents learned from their family members and 1 % of the respondents learned from other sources. It is interesting that most of the respondents felt more comfortable learn how to use hand phone from their friends rather than from their family. Besides, they like to do a trial and error in operating their hand phone until they are really able to use all the menu on their hand phone.

90 % of the respondents use their hand phone just for making a call and using SMS. Only 21 % of the respondents use MMS. However, only 2 % of the respondents use their hand phone for browsing and filing data. This study shows us that most of early childhood teachers used their hand phone according to the main function of the hand phone and they didn’t use Hand phone for ICT purpose optimally.  

The Use of Internet

Data about the use of the Internet shows that 63% of the respondents claimed that they are able to use internet while 37% are not able to use it. In addition to these data, 34% of respondents use internet in internet cafes (cyber cafes), 32% at home, 19% in school and 15% in elsewhere. This is to say that most respondents use internet outside their homes. When they, who are able to use internet, were asked from whom they learned to use internet, 38% of them claimed that they learned from their own families, 45% from other persons, 4% from a course and 14% learned through self-study. One interesting thing is that the respondents learned to use internet from others (45%), such as internet cafe workers, colleagues or school administrators. 71% of respondents stated that they use internet to find information, 28% to establish social relationships, and 6% to do businesses. These data illustrate that most early childhood teachers use internet to find information they need (by browsing). This information is not always associated with matter relating to professionalism as a teacher. Most of them seek information about life and household needs.

When respondents were asked (by using opened-ended question) about their expectations of their own skills in the field of information, communication and technology, the five most answers are as follows. 30% of respondents said they do not want to be blind technology people. They are eager to have adequate skills in utilizing information and communication technology optimally. 29% of the respondents hope to be able to master the entire communications and information technology devices, especially for their needs as a teacher, such as utilize ICT as learning resources and media for learning. 27% of the respondents said that they want to build a relationship with many people through ICT, 12% of the respondent want to learn through the use of ICT and 5% stated that they can help their children in learning, because a lot of children’s homework can be solved by using ICT.

When they were asked what efforts they are going to do and what they have done to improve their ability to use ICT, the most five answers are as follows. 60% stated that they have to learn both independently and through educational institutions or learning through other people like friends, children and others who can help them learn to use ICT. 10% stated that they must often use ICT tools in order to master these devices. 7% stated that the efforts they have to do is to have ICT devices so that they will easily learn and make the best use of ICT in their lives. 3% stated that they have to be a friend of people who have a high capability in ICT so that indirectly, they will be influenced by such capabilities. Meanwhile 3% will go to a computer course so that they can enhance its capability in using ICT.

When respondents were asked to give advice related to electronic literacy skills or ICT skills of Indonesia early childhood teachers, the fifth largest suggestion is as follows. 1) The government should provide them with training-related skills in the field of ICT. 2) The government requires teachers to have ICT skills or requires ICT skills for someone who wants to become early childhood teachers 3) the government provides help for computers and internet use not only to elementary school, junior high school and high school but also to early childhood institutions (including kindergarten and playgroup), 4) curriculum in educational institutions for teachers training should contains ICT skill competencies. 5) The government should provide free courses for teachers of early childhood, especially in ICT and English language skills.

SUMMARY

To master information literacy skills is important for early childhood teachers in this era because the information developed rapidly and can be accessed easly by using internet. The use of internet is very meaningful for the teachers such as for making media instruction, for browsing new knowledge dan information and for building social reletaionship network. In fact, a lot of teachers in big city have been aware of the useful of internet and computer. How ever they need help from the government of Indonesia in providing them with computer devices and skills they need for operating the computer and browsing the internet.

REFERENCES

Wahyudiati. (2008).Urgensi literasi informasi sebagai bekal kecakapan hidup. http://batikyogya.wordpress.com/2008/03/03/urgensi-literasi-informasi-sebagai-bekal-kecakapan-hidu. Diunduh: 12 Oktober 2009. Pukul. 17.10

-----------.http://www.bit.lipi.go.id/masyarakat-literasi/index.php/literasi-informasi-kunci-kemajuan-yang-terbuang . Diunduh: 12 Oktober 2010. Pukul. 12.34

Artikel ini telah di seminarkan dalam The International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) --> The 24th ICDE World Conference in Indonesia dengan tema "Expanding Horizon-New Approaches to ODL". Bali 2-5 Oktober 2011