Students’ learning difficulties covers a wide pengetian, including: (a) learning disorder, (b) learning disfunction, (c) underachiever; (d) slow learner, and (e) learning diasbilities. Below will be described from each of these terms.
Learning Disorder or a learning disorder is a situation where someone interrupted the learning process because of the emergence of conflicting responses. Basically, who experienced a learning disorder, the potential is essentially not harmed, but the learning impaired or impeded by the presence of conflicting responses, so that learning outcomes are achieved is lower than its potential. Example: students who are familiar with hard sports like karate, boxing and the like, may be having difficulty in learning to dance the demanding weak-graceful movement.
Learning Disfunction is a symptom where the process of learning that students do not function well, despite the fact that these students did not show any subnormalitas mental disorders Dria tools, or other psychological disorders. Example: students who have a high posture athletic and very fit to be a volleyball athlete, but having never been trained to play volley ball, then he can not master the game of volleyball as well.
Under Achiever refers to students who actually have a level of intellectual potential that are categorized as above normal, but academic achievement is low. Example: The student who has tested his intelligence and shows the level classified as very superior intelligence (IQ = 130-140), but academic achievement mediocre or even very low.
Slow Learner or slow learners are students who are slow in learning, so it takes longer than a group of other students who have the same level of intellectual potential.
Learning Disabilities or learning disability refers to the phenomenon whereby students can not learn or avoid learning, thus learning outcomes under its intellectual potential.
Students who have difficulty learning as belonging within the meaning of the above will be apparent from the various symptoms manifested in their behavior, both aspects of psychomotor, cognitive, conative and affective. Some behavior is a manifestation of the symptoms of learning difficulties, among others:
Study showed that low below the average score achieved by a group or below its potential.
The results achieved are not balanced by the effort that has been done. There may be students who have tried to study hard, but the values obtained are always lower
Slow in performing tasks and learning activities are always left behind from his friends from the time provided.
Demonstrate attitudes that are not reasonable, such as: indifferent, opposed, pretend, lie, and so on.
Exhibit behavior disabilities, such as ditching, came too late, not doing homework, disruptive in class or outside, do not want to record lessons, irregular in learning activities, and so on.
Emotional symptoms that are less reasonable, such as: moody, irritable, angry, or not less happy in dealing with certain situations. For example in the face of low value, does not show feelings of sadness or regret, and so on.
Meanwhile, Burton (Abin Shamsuddin. 2003) to identify students suspected of having learning difficulties, demonstrated by the failure of students in achieving learning goals. He said that students are said to fail in the study if:
Within a certain time limit in question did not achieve a measure of success or level of mastery of the material (mastery level) at least in certain lessons that have been set by the teacher (criterion reference).
Unable to work or should achieve, judging by the size of the level of ability, talent, or intelligence they have. These students can be classified into the under achiever.
It did not work the mastery of the material (mastery level) required as a prerequisite for the continuation of the next lesson. These students can be classified into the slow learner or immature (immature), so it should be a repeater (repeater)
To be able to set and marked symptoms of learning difficulties of students who have difficulty learning, it is necessary to limit or criteria as a benchmark, so that these criteria be established boundaries where students can be expected to have difficulty learning. There are four sizes to determine the failure or the progress of student learning: (1) educational goals, (2) position in the group, (3) the level of achievement of learning outcomes dibandinngkan with potential, and (4) personality.
1. The purpose of education
In the overall educational system, the purpose of education is one important component of education, because it will provide the direction the process of educational activities. All educational activities or activities directed learning to achieve learning objectives. Students who can achieve the target of these goals can be regarded as a successful student. Meanwhile, if students are not able to achieve these goals can be said to have difficulty learning. To mark those who have barriers to the achievement of learning goals, then before the learning process begins, the goal must be clearly defined and operational. Furthermore, the achieved learning outcomes serve as the level of achievement goals. Statistically, based on the normal distribution, a person is said to be successful if the student has mastered at least 60% of all goals to be achieved. But if you use the concept of complete learning (mastery learning) by using a reference benchmark assessments, someone said to have succeeded in learning if it has mastered the minimum standards of thoroughness that has been determined previously or now commonly called exhaustiveness Minimum Criteria (KKM). Conversely, if the mastery of exhaustiveness below minimum criteria then the student is said to have failed in learning. The technique can be used is by way of analyzing the learning achievement in the form of the value of learning outcomes.
2. Position in Group
Position of a student in the group will be a measure in the achievement of learning outcome. Students are said to have difficulty learning, learning achievement when obtained under the average achievement group as a whole. For example, the average achievement group of 8, students who scored below the number 8, is estimated to have difficulty learning. Thus, the value achieved will give a clearer meaning when compared with others in the group’s achievements. With this norm, teachers will be able to mark the students who expected to have difficulty learning, ie students who have achievement in the overall group performance.
Statistically, they are expected to have trouble are those who occupy 25% under the order of the group, which is commonly called the lower group. With this technique, we sort students based on the value it achieves. from the highest to the lowest, so that students get the serial number of performance (ranking). Those who occupy positions below the 25% estimated to have learning difficulties. Another technique is to compare the learning achievements of each student with an average achievement group. Students who have below average performance – is estimated to average group also had difficulty learning.
3. Comparison between potential and achievement
Learning achievement of a student who achieved will depend on the level of potential, either in the form of intelligence or talent. High-potential students tend to be and should be able to obtain a high learning achievement as well. Conversely, students who have a low potential tend to obtain a low learning achievement as well.By comparing the potential of the learning achievement of achievement we can estimate how far can realize the potential of dimikinya. Students say learning difficulties, if his achievements are not in accordance with its potential. For example, a student after attending a psychological examination known to have high levels of intelligence (IQ) of 120, including the smart category in the scale of Simon & Binnet.But apparently the result of learning just got a number 6, which should have a level of intelligence dimikinya he at least he could get the number 8. The example above illustrates the symptoms of learning difficulties, commonly referred to as underachiever.
4. Personality
Learning outcomes are achieved by one person are reflected in his whole personality. Each of the learning process will result in changes in the aspect of personality. Students who succeed in learning will show certain patterns of personality, in accordance with the purpose of learning objectives that have been set. Diakatan students experiencing learning difficulties, if they express patterns of deviant behavior or personality than it should, such as indifference, dereliction of duty, often absent, against, isolated, weak motivation, emotions are not balanced and so on.
B. Tutoring
Tutoring is an effort of teachers to help students who have difficulty in learning. In general, the procedure tutoring can be reached through the following steps
1. Identification of cases
Identification of cases was an attempt to find a student who allegedly need tutoring services. Robinson in Abin Shamsuddin Ma’mun (2003) provide several approaches that can be done to detect students who allegedly need the tutoring services, namely:
Call Them approach; conduct interviews by calling all students to take turns so that in this way will be found students who really need guidance services.
Maintain good relationship; create a good relationship, full of intimacy so there is no gap between teachers and students. This can be done through various ways that are not only limited to the relationship of teaching and learning activities, for example through extra-curricular activities, recreational and other informal situations.
Developing a desire for counseling; create an atmosphere that raises students’ awareness towards the problems it faces. For example, by discussing with students who are concerned about the results of a test, such as intelligence tests, aptitude tests, and results of other measurements to be analyzed together and pursued various follow-ups.
Conducted an analysis of student learning outcomes, in this way can be known levels and types of learning difficulties or failures encountered students.
Sosiometris analyzing, in this way can be found students who allegedly had difficulty adjusting socially
2. Identification of Problems
This step is an attempt to understand the types, characteristics of difficulties or problems faced by students. In the context of the Learning Process, problems can be related to aspects of students: (a) substantially – the material, (b) structural – functional, (c) behavioral, and or (d) personality. To identify students’ problems, Prayitno et al. has developed an instrument to track the students’ problems, with the so-called Tool Reveals Problems (AUM). The instrument is very helpful to detect the location of the difficulties faced by students, about aspects: (a) physical and health, (b) personal self, (c) social relationships, (d) economic and financial; (e) career and employment; (f ) education and learning, (g) of religion, values and morals, (h) the relationship of young people; (i) the circumstances and family relationships, and (j) leisure time.
3. Diagnosis
Diagnosis is an attempt to discover the factors causing or leading to the problems of students. Teaching and Learning in the context of the factors that cause the failure of student learning, can be viewed in terms of input, process, or the out put of learning. W.H. Burton split into two parts of factors – factors that may cause difficulty or failure of student learning, namely: (a) internal factors; factors besumber from within the students themselves, such as: physical condition and health, intelligence, talent, personality, emotions, attitudes and other psychological conditions, and (b) external factors, such as home environment, school environment including teachers and social environment factors and the like.
4. Prognosis
This step is to estimate whether the problems experienced by students is still possible to overcome and to determine the range of alternative solutions, This is done by integrating and interpreting the results of the second and third step. The process of taking a decision at this stage should be implemented first case conference, involving the parties are competent to be asked to work together to handle the case – the case at hand.
5. Remedial or referrals (Hand Over Case)
If the type and the nature and source of the problem is still related to the learning system and still remain within the ability and the ability of the teacher or guidance counselor, providing guidance can be performed by a teacher or guidance counselor itself. However, if the problem is related to aspects of personality that is deeper and wider then the proper task of a teacher or guidance counselor limited to only make recommendations to the experts who are more competent.
6. Evaluation and Follow Up
Any way to be taken, evaluation of problem-solving efforts should be evaluated and follow-up, to see how the influence of aid measures (treatment) that has been given to solving the problems facing the students.
With regard to the evaluation of guidance, the ministry has provided criteria for the success of tutoring services, namely:
Development of students gained a new understanding relating to the issues discussed;
Positive feelings as a result of processes and materials that are delivered through the service, and
Plan activities to be undertaken by the students after the implementation of the service in order to realize further efforts to alleviate the problems experienced.
Meanwhile, Robinson in Abin Shamsuddin Ma’mun (2003) suggested several criteria of success and effectiveness of services provided, ie when:
Students have come to realize (to be aware of) for any problems encountered.
Students have to understand the (self-insight) problems faced.
Students have begun showing a willingness to accept themselves and the problem in an objective (self-acceptance).
Students has decreased emotional tension (emotion stress release).
Students have dropped opposition to its environment
Students are beginning to show its ability to consider, make choices and take decisions in a sound and rational.
Students have demonstrated ability to perform repair efforts and adaptation to its environment, in accordance with the basic considerations and decisions that have been taken
Sources:
Implementation Guidance Series Guidance and Counselling in Schools, (1995), Guidance and Counseling Services in High School (SMU) Book IV, Jakarta: IPBI
Winkel, W.S. (1991), Guidance and Counseling in Educational Institutions, jakartat: Gramedia