Senior High School Students less Interested in Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Many Senior High School graduates particularly in the rural areas do not want to choose the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences when taking further studies in universities. Of the total 60 seats available, only 12 are taken. This is because the teachers in teaching the courses in natural sciences and chemistry have a lack of knowledge of how to teach interestingly and professionally so that students are interested in studying such courses.
“There is a mistake in the teaching and learning process practiced by the teachers particularly of natural science subjects and chemistry,” said the Secretariat General of MIPAnet, Dr. Hasim, DEA in the Workshop of MIPAnet, Monay (26/7) di IPB International Convention Centre (IICC).
He said that besides the factor of teachers, there are internal factors in the students themselves. “ The students who look at the ways the teachers teach the subjects of natural sciences must think that the subjects are difficult. In fact, on the contrary, they are very easy and interesting,” according to the Dean of FMIPA (Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB). Based on the recent survey of the international consortium on mathematics and science, of 36 countries often taking part in the mathematics Olympics, Indonesia is in the 32th rank, at the similar level of African countries. Meanwhile, the ASEAN countries such as Thailand and Singapore are above Indonesia.
According to the survey by the Ministry of National Education, 50 % of teachers do not understand how to teach the items of the National Entrance Test to State Universities (SNMPTN). This indicates the quality of teachers in Indonesia is still poor. “This should motivate our nation to make further progress in sciences,” said this Dean of MIPA IPB.
Rector of IPB, Prof. Dr.Herry Suhardiyanto in his speech said that 20 % of world population control 80 % of world income. “This is because they master technology, and so they can control the world natural resources. The young generation who is keen on the field of mathematics and natural sciences will be motivated to like other sciences,” he said.
The Secretariat General of the National education Ministry Prof.Dodi Nandika hopes that MIPAnet can play a concrete role in solving various national educational issues of the improvements in teacher’s competence, learning systems, facilities and infrastructure as well as collaboration in fundamental research. “MIPA (Mathematics and Natural Sciences) is the mother of all sciences, so leading universities generally have a strong mastery of MIPA. Higher educations with such a quality produce highly competitive graduates,” asserted Prof.Dodi.
MIPAnet is a national cooperation network of higher education for mathematics and natural sciences established in 2009. This workshop of MIPAnet is attended by every Dean of Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences throughout Indonesia and the teachers of mathematics and natural sciences from JABODETABEK.(ris)
