Teacher Professionalism Development in Constructive

Collaborative-Based Scientific Article Writing

Bambang Sumardjoko and Anam Sutopo

Pancasila and Civic Education Study Program of Teacher Training and Education Faculty of Surakarta Muhammadiyah

University, A.Yani Street, Tromol Pos 1, Pabelan, Kartasura, Surakarta

{bs131, Anam.Sutopo}@ums.ac.id

Keywords: Teacher Professionalism Development, constructive collaborative, and scientific article.

Abstract: This research aimed to describe the prior condition of teachers’ understanding and ability of writing scientific

article, the form of teacher need, and teacher professionalism development management model in constructive

collaborative-based scientific article writing. This research was conducted using research and development

design with educator-certified teachers in Muhammadiyah Secondary Schools in Sukoharjo, Central Java,

being the subject. Data was obtained through observation, interview, document analysis, questionnaire and

FGD. The results of research were as follows: firstly teachers’ understanding on scientific article was still low

and their ability of planning, organizing, and publishing scientific article should be improved. Secondly,

teachers had made some competency improvements either independently by attending workshop, seminar,

and providing new textbooks or by attending discussion activity of subject teacher. Thirdly, teachers highly

needed infrastructure and guidance in improving scientific article writing. Fourthly, the sustainable teacher

profession development model in constructive collaborative-based scientific article writing material started

with problem identification and then collaboration with group can motivate teachers in preparing scientific

article.

1 INTRODUCTION

Development model is intended to be a framework in

sustainable teacher profession development in

scientific article writing field. The matters discussed

include teachers’ understanding on scientific work

writing, activity forms, development need forms, and

sustainable teacher profession development model in

constructive collaborative-based scientific article

writing. Constructive collaborative is a strategy of

writing scientific article based on the problem found

themselves and then collaborating with group to find

the solution (Charlotte, 2005). The object of research

consisted of educator-certified teachers in senior high

schools in Muhammadiyah area of Sukoharjo, Central

Java.

Teachers is a professional educators with the main

duty of educating, teaching, guiding, leading,

training, assessing, and evaluating the students in

early age child education of formal education

channel, primary and secondary education. The

position of teachers as the professional serves to

improve the teachers’ dignity and role as the agent of

learning and to improve the national education quality

(Law No.14 of 2005). As the teaching staff, teacher is

required to have competency or pedagogic ability

thereby can transfer knowledge to the students. The

role of teacher becomes very strategic in preparing

high-quality human resource. Therefore, the

improvement of teacher professionalism should be

done continuously.

The development of teacher professionalism is

conducted based on institution’s need, teacher group,

and teacher itself. According to Danim (in

Syaefuddin Sa’ud, 2009), teacher development is

intended to stimulate, to maintain, and to improve the

quality of staff in solving organizational problems.

Although teacher development based on institution

need is important, the more important thing in teacher

professionalism development is based on teacher’s

individual need to realize professionalism (Payong,

2011). Therefore, teacher professionalism

development should be developed sustainably.

Speaking of sustainable teacher professionalism

development, it can be found that many teachers,

including those with Civil Servants status, are

hindered with the requirement to write scientific

article in their professionalism development.

Meanwhile, scientific article writing ability becomes

one indicator of teacher quality (Suhaenah, Kompas,

Sumardjoko, B. and Sutopo, A.

Teacher Professionalism Development in Constructive Collaborative-Based Scientiﬁc Article Writing.

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education (ICSE 2017) - Volume 1, pages 143-149

ISBN: 978-989-758-316-2

143

22 April 2014), as through writing scientific work,

teachers can reflect their various experiences. In

Central Java Province, nearly 60% of Civil Servant

teachers having achieved the 4tha space grade cannot

be promoted to one higher level because they are

inhibited by scientific article writing problem. Data

shows that Secondary School teachers who have

occupied the 4tha grade are 50.88%, while those who

can be promoted to the 4thb and so forth are only

0.5% (Yunianto, 2007). Sumardjoko’s (2013) study

on the Model of Reinforcing the Certified Teachers

through Interpreting Professionalism in the teachers

of Public Senior High Schools in Sukoharjo, Central

Java showed that the dominant factor causing the

teachers’ less successful professionalism

improvement is their inadequate ability of conducting

classroom action research and writing scientific

article.

Furthermore, the next study conducted in

Muhammadiyah secondary schools in Sukoharjo

found that the development of sustainable teacher

professionalism shows no clearly and systematically

structured development. Therefore, considering the

phenomena above, a constructivist-collaborative-

based sustainable teacher professionalism model

should be developed to improve the teachers’ soft

skills-transferable skills in writing scientific article

writing.

Soft skill refers to interpersonal competency or

personality. Career Opportunities News publication

mentions that soft skills include positive skills to

support personality. Soft skills can be motivation,

respecting others, working in team, self-discipline,

self-confidence, adaptation to commonly prevailing

norms, and language or communication competency,

either spoken or written. Teachers having positive

soft skills are expected to master spoken and written

communication and to have high job motivation

thereby can work intensively under the pressure of

product target and deadline. An individual having

good soft skill is those that can be powerful in the

future because he/she can manage his/her personal

life, either internally into him/herself or externally in

establishing relation with others.

Soft skills can build a well-established teacher

personality. Considering the result of research on

effective lecturers, it can be found some general

phenomena that lecturers preferred by students are

those having positive personality. Gordon’s (1999)

study found that eight out of 18 teaching competency

statements are effective and the one having

significant and positive relationship is personality

type. The data indicates that 42.25% of competency

variation can be predicted from personality type.

Lecturer’s personality type dimension having high

score in the teaching effectiveness is whether or not

the lecturer’s presence is desirable, and whether or

not they can work as hard as possible to complete the

work fully and timely. The lecturer appreciating the

specified procedure and authority believe that they

will keep surviving as they have run their function

well.

Considering the description above, the research is

intended to describe the prior condition of teachers’

understanding and ability of writing scientific article,

the form of teacher need, and teacher professionalism

development management model in constructive

collaborative-based scientific article writing for

Muhammadiyah teachers.

2 METHOD

This study was research and development, starting

from preliminary study, development activity through

field study process, model designing, model design

tryout, to model validation. This research and

development was taken place in Sukoharjo, Central

Java Province. Data source included informant

(teachers, headmaster, chairperson of primary and

secondary education chamber [thereafter called

majlis dikdasmen]) place or event (senior high school,

vocational middle school, classroom, and learning

circumstance), and document based on snowball

sampling and purposive sampling. Data validation

was carried out using source triangulation and review

informant. Meanwhile, data analysis was conducted

using an interactive model of analysis (Miles and

Huberman, 1984).

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Considering the data per June 25, 2015, teachers and

Muhammadiyah Secondary School can be described

as follows. There are 11 schools including SMA, MA,

and SMK with a total of 346 teachers. 116 teachers

have attended educator certification (34.39%) and the

rest of 227 (65.61%) have not. It indicates that the

number of teacher having not attended certification

program is larger than those having attended.

The 119 teachers having obtained educator

certificate, by their personnel status, are divided into

three categories: Civil Servant (PNS), Permanent

Foundation Teacher (GTY), and Non-Permanent

Teacher (GTT). There are 20 (16.81%) educator-

certificated teachers with Civil Servant status, 72

(60.50%) with GTY status, and 27 (22.69%) with

GTT status. This data of personnel status is

interesting because many teachers with non-PNS

status (83.19%) have obtained educator certificate,

compared with teachers with PNS status. Then, by

ICSE 2017 - 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education

144

education level, they are divided into two categories:

master (postgraduate/S2) and graduate (S1). Ten

teachers (8.40%) with postgraduate degree have

obtained educator certification and 109 (91.60%)

with graduate degree have obtained it. The data of

education level shows that only few teachers with

postgraduate degree, so that the number of teachers

with graduate degree attending the higher level of

education should be improved. By sex, 81 (68.07%)

out of 119 Muhammadiyah Senior High School

teachers in Sukoharjo who have obtained educator

certification are males and 38 (31.93%) are females.

The data of sex shows that male teachers still become

the majority obtaining educator certification,

compared with the male ones.

3.1 Mapping and Teachers’ ability of

writing scientific work

Scientific work is essentially the result of a scientist’s

thinking product that wants to develop science,

technology, and art. This scientific thinking product

was acquired from library study, experience, previous

research, and others’ knowledge. Interview with BS

(June 5, 2015), related to scientific work concept,

suggested that “The mastery of research concept

inhibit me in Classroom Action Research (CAR).

Sometimes when I prepared, I was confused whether

or not it has been correct, so that finally I stopped to

prepare it”. SS, a history teacher, said “Actually

historical learning finds many problems. For

example, students’ motivation, the effective delivery

method, and relevant learning source. It can be the

theme of classroom action research. But I do not

master the concept of CAR completely. I am rather

confused in writing the correct proposal and

procedure. There is actually an example, but

regarding different discipline, so I remain to find

difficulty”.

Information obtained from ES, as the Pancasila

and Civic Education teachers on June 8, 2015,

revealed that “Conducting a research is perhaps one

of my weaknesses, because I did not write thesis

when I studied at university”. Meanwhile W stated:

“The difficulty in conducting CAR generally lies on

the development of research concept, from

determining an appropriate title, problem statement,

the theory used, to the method used. I would find

difficulty if no one guided me”.

The information from teachers of SMK

Muhammadiyah 1 and 2 Sukoharjo was crosschecked

with that from teachers of SMA Muhammadiyah 3,

and SMK Muhammadiyah Watukelir, all of which

concludes that there are still some constraints in

understanding scientific work concept. Teachers’

experience with scientific work writing is obtained

during Teacher Profession Practice Education

(thereafter called PLPG).

Considering the questionnaire distributed, it can

be found that the educator-certificated teachers’

understanding on scientific work concept can be

shown as follows: 15% understand, 55% understand

poorly, 30% do not understand. That condition is in

line with Sumardjoko’s (2012) study finding that the

constraints the teachers encounter in writing scientific

work are as follows. Firstly, reading interest is low.

Secondly, teacher has inadequate information about

latest development activity. Thirdly, there is

misperception. Teachers having inadequate

information about scientific work misperceive the

scientific work writing.

In addition, the poor understanding on scientific

work writing is due to internal factor of

corresponding teachers. Low motivation is one of

internal constraints consisting of teachers having no

reading habit, and having poor language ability.

Laziness in trying is one factor inhibiting the teachers

in starting to write scientific work.

3.2 Teacher Professionalism

Development so far

3.2.1 Teacher’s perspective

Basically any forms of self-development in educator-

certified teachers have been done, despite less

maximal. Teachers have conducted some self-

development to fulfill and to improve pedagogic,

professional, social, and personality competencies.

The evidence of teachers’ self-development activities

can be seen from the result of interview with some

informants. BS, as the Pancasila and Civil Education

teacher in SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Sukoharjo

(interview on June 5, 2015), stated that “I have read

many books, attended workshop, and outbond so far.

If those are done all, it think it is enough to improve

the competency”. This information is confirmed by a

history teacher, SS, stating that “in addition to reading

book, I also often browse in internet, because

historical events will be found more easily in internet.

I have ever attended seminar or workshop as well. It

can support my competency as History teacher”.

Information on teachers’ development activity

obtained from the two informants is similar to that

obtained from H.Sm, the certificated teacher

assuming entrepreneurship in SMK Muhammadiyah

1 Sukoharjo. ES, a Pancasila and Civic Education

teacher (Interview on June 8, 2015), has also

developed his competency and attended MGMP

activity and then, bought laptop for browsing in

internet, to search for recent information about civic

issues. This information is confirmed by W assuming

Teacher Professionalism Development in Constructive Collaborative-Based Scientiﬁc Article Writing

145

Physical Education and Health, and Sgn assuming

Indonesian language subjects.

Considering the description of data above, it can

be found that educator-certificated teachers have

conducted some activities so far to develop

competency after have been certified. The activities

conducted include attending workshop and seminar,

buying newest textbook, attending MGMP activity,

and discussing with fellow subject teachers. This

demand for realizing teacher professionalism is in

line with Hult and Edstrom’s (2016) research finding

that the improvement of teacher professionalism

should be supported by the presence of accountability

through significant evaluation and measures.

The attempts taken to improve teacher

professionalism can be seen in histogram below.

Table 1: Teachers’ Activities to Improve Professionalism.

Activity

Proportion %

Seminar

25 %

Workshop

20 %

MGMP

15 %

Discussion

10 %

Reading Book

10 %

Internet

5 %

Research

10 %

Social Activity

5 %

3.2.2 Headmaster’s Perspective

The headmasters as the leader are also responsible for

developing teacher professionalism in school. Many

attempts have been taken by headmaster to support

the certificated teacher in order to have better

competency. HM, as the headmaster of SMK 2

Muhammadiyah Sukoharjo, states that he supports

any teacher activities to develop competency. In the

interview on June 8, 2015, he stated that “When there

is an invitation for seminar or workshop, we will send

our teacher, and we provide the fund as well.

Teachers are given service trip document stamped by

the committee of seminar/workshop. Then, the

document is submitted to the school. MGMP activity

is also supported, and particularly the place is

provided, if necessary. Regarding teaching hour, we

adjust it with teachers’ need, particularly those

certificated ones in order to be consistent with their

teaching hour need. Many more activities can be

conducted to develop teachers’ competency”.

Information from HM was then crosschecked

with Mdj as the headmaster of SMK Muhammadiyah

1 Sukoharjo, and the result is similar. He said that the

school management supports completely the

development of teacher competency, despite some

constraints. Similarly, Skn, as the headmaster of

SMK Muhammadiyah Watukelir and SMA

Muhammadiyah Pontren Imam Syuhada always

support every teacher activity in developing

competency.

Considering the result of research, it can be found

that headmasters have attempted to support and to

facilitate the teachers in performing any activities in

order to improve their pedagogic, professional,

interpersonal and social competencies. The support

includes: (1) encouraging the teachers to attend the

seminar, (2) encouraging the teachers to attend

workshop, (3) facilitating the activity of discussion

with fellow subject teachers in respective school, (4)

supporting the MGMP activity, (5) motivating the

certificated old teachers to keep productive, (6)

supporting teacher to organize social activity in

religion holiday event, (7) supervising teacher

activities in school, (8) encouraging the teacher to

conduct research, and (8) participating in determining

policy when distributing teachers’ teaching hour.

Many attempts and activities the headmasters can

conduct to improve their professionalism sustainably,

including scientific work writing, can be seen in the

histogram below.

Table 2: Headmasters’ Attempts of Improving Teacher

Professionalism.

Activity

Proportion %

Seminar

25 %

Workshop

20 %

Discussion

15 %

MGMP

10 %

Motivation

8 %

Activity

7 %

Supervision

5 %

Research

5 %

Policy

5 %

3.2.3 Primary and Secondary Education

Chamber’s Perspective

The reality in the field represents that the Primary and

Secondary Education Chamber of Muhammadiyah

Sukoharjo tends to supervise, to support, and certified

teachers’ activity in developing their competencies.

The system developed is bottom-up. It is

characterized with any idea individual schools so that

the Primary and Secondary Education Chamber

supports only after the school takes action.

Limited role and function of teacher

empowerment by Primary and Secondary Education

Chamber of Muhammadiyah Sukoharjo and perhaps

in other areas seem to be affected by many factors.

The leadership of Primary and Secondary Education

Chamber is largely held by non-teacher figure and

retired teacher. As the private institution growing and

developing from the bottom and having social

ICSE 2017 - 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education

146

religious vision, dakwah amar makruf nahi munkar,

some difficulties are found in realizing the

professional school management. Most of

Muhammadiyah schools manage the school by

applying efficiency and effectiveness principles

tightly. Therefore it is unsurprising that the Primary

and Secondary Education Chamber often finds

difficulties in funding the breakthrough and various

activities intended.

3.3 The need for Sustainable Teacher

Professionalism Development

Considering the result of document analysis and in-

depth interview, it can be explained that teachers have

attempted to develop their professionalism in some

way, using development model: “Individual Guided

Staff Development”. Teachers can assess their

learning need and learn actively and direct

themselves. They should be motivated when selecting

the learning objective based on personnel assessment

on their need. Independent professionalism

development the Muhammadiyah teachers have done

in Sukoharjo is consistent with the guidance of

Sustainable Professionalism Development activity

issued by government.

Meanwhile the constraints occurring in this

development are: time, funding, age, school

infrastructure, motivation, leader’s policy, and access

to internet network. Therefore, what is needed and

attempted continuously are firstly the measures of

simplifying anything related to learning

administrative activity and evaluation by the policy

makers in school; secondly, fund provision by

Primary and Secondary Education Chamber or other

sponsor in tapping to teacher activity. in this case, the

Primary and Secondary Education Chamber is

expected to be not only bottom-up but also up-down;

thirdly changing policy from the leader of Primary

and Secondary Education Chamber to make the

position promotion more selective thereby pertaining

to pedagogic, professional, interpersonal and social

domains; fourthly providing access to internet; fifthly

support from college in organizing workshop/seminar

and other activities; and sixthly, scholarship support

for advanced study.

3.4 Constructive Collaborative-Based

Teacher Professionalism

Development Management Model

Considering the result of preliminary study above, the

development model developed was based on the

teachers’ need for writing scientific article to improve

their professionalism. The model was developed

constructively, meaning that it based on the problems

found by the teachers themselves, while research

team gives reinforcement and facilitation. It is in line

with Moswela’s (2006) research finding that teacher

development program to achieve the intended

objective should improve teaching and learning

process and find out the need based on actual

problems in the class. Then, regarding facilitation

problem, it is in line with Raaen (2017) stating that

the placement of mentor will show the teacher how

research-based experience is relevant to teacher

professional job. It is collaborative, meaning that

teachers will collaborate with their group (a single

same school/same study area), to produce scientific

article. The attempts of finding solution

constructively and to be collaborative in writing

scientific article are the foundation to develop writing

ability more easily and meaningfully based on the

problems found by the teachers themselves. This

model grows self-confidence and motivation among

the teachers to write other scientific articles.

The measures of developing model are as follows.

Firstly, analyzing the teachers’ need for writing

scientific article. Secondly, preparing draft

constructivist-collaborative-based teacher

professionalism development model. Thirdly, focus

group discussion to solidify the model. Fourthly,

accomplishing the model set. Meanwhile, the

important components supporting the preparation of

sustainable teacher professionalism development

model in writing scientific article are as follows.

Firstly, the participation of all stakeholder. Secondly,

Majlis Dikdasmen Muhammadiyah constituting the

key component determining the model

implementation. Thirdly school providing

infrastructure for teacher. Fourthly, teacher

constituting the key component of model

implementation. Fifthly, LPTK (Team of Teacher

Training and Education Faculty) Surakarta

Muhammadiyah University as facilitator and

developer. Kempen and Steyn’s (2016) study found

that the constructivist-collaborative model becomes a

choice to improve model corresponding to teacher

need. This research serves as the example in which

valuable internal and external network is created for

the interests of all parties involved in this research the

constructive collaborative-based sustainable teacher

professionalism development model to improve soft

skills-transferable skills – in scientific article writing

for the educator-certified teachers in Muhammadiyah

Secondary School of Sukoharjo is shown in the figure

below.

Teacher Professionalism Development in Constructive Collaborative-Based Scientiﬁc Article Writing

147

Figure 1: Sustainable Teacher Professionalism Development Model.

Sustainable Professionalism Development

attempt the teachers have done:

 Attending seminar/workshop

 Reading book/learning material

 Utilizing internet

 Active in MGMP activity

 Active in societal activity

 Comparative study along with MGMP

members

MAJLIS

DIKDASMEN

MUHAMMADIYAH

(Determinant of Model

implementation)

LPTK/ PT

(Facilitator and

developer)

TEACHER

(Actor/ Subject

of Development)

SCHOOL

(Provider of

infrastructure for

Teacher in improving

scientific work writing

ability

Teachers’ low ability of writing

scientific article

Training/Facilitation of

LPTK

Credit point Professionalism

Position

 Ability of writing scientific article

 Increased percentage of teacher

becoming presenter

 Increased number of article

uploading in journal

The improvement

of Sustainable

Professionalism

Development

independently

TEACHERS’ INDEPENDENCY IN DEVELOPING PROFESSIONALISM & IMPROVING

LEARNING PROCESS QUALITY

Improved Soft Skill-Transferable Skill

 Improved teacher performance



Improved teacher

Professionalism



Grade promotion runs

smoothly

STAKEHOLDER

ICSE 2017 - 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education

148

4 CONCLUSIONS

Firstly, teachers’ understanding on scientific article

writing has not been good entirely. Teachers’

experience with writing scientific article was mostly

done during teacher professionalism training (PLPG).

Secondly, teachers have done a variety of activities to

develop their competency independently by attending

workshop, seminar, buying the new lesson text,

attending Subject Teacher Discussion (MGMP)

activity, and discussing with fellow subject teachers.

Thirdly, to develop scientific article writing, the

educator-certified teachers still find constraints such

as time, fund, age, school infrastructure, motivation,

leader’s policy, and access to internet network.

Fourthly, the constructivist-collaborative-based

sustainable teacher professionalism development

model to improve teachers’ soft skills-transferable

skills in writing scientific article is integrated in

nature. In this development model, n writing

scientific constructively, teachers start with

identifying problem and then collaborating with their

group so that the constraint in developing scientific

article can be solved well.

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