Lenong Lagu Dolanan’s Model for Building Children’s Basic

Competencies and Character

Nanik Suratmi

and Dwi Fita Heriyawati

Faculty of Language and Literature, Universitas Kanjuruhan

Keywords: Lagu Dolanan, Early Childhood, Model

Abstract: Lagu dolanan as Indonesian ancestor inheritance threatened to be destroyed by technology development.

One of the ways for preserving lagu dolanan is inserting it into the curriculum of early childhood. The mix

method design was used in this study. The descriptive qualitative research analyzed 105 songs collected by

Tedjo Hadisumarto (1958) to detect the potential benefits for developing basic competencies and characters

of children at the early childhood education The result of the data analysis showed that almost 74% of songs

are available for teaching materials at early childhood, not only for the core activities but also for opening

and closing activities. Triangulation is done by dalang (Javanese puppets plays) and education's experts.

The quantitative research used to find out the effectiveness of the lenong lagu dolanan models toward

increasing a children’s basic characters and competencies. The results of computation from the experimental

condition shows that lagu dolanan is effective to build the basic competence and character of children. The

researchers suggest to the kindergarten teachers to increase self-creativity in order to develop methods of

play-based learning, so that the learning atmosphere with lagu dolanan becomes live, active, and interesting

activity for children.

1 INTRODUCTION

Lagu dolanan is a folklore inheritance of the

ancestors who hold the noble values of the nation,

which is almost forgotten by the nation itself. As a

folk song, lagu dolanan is usually sung when the

full moonas a means to have fun (playing) as well as

a means of communication that creates social ties.

Unfortunately, folklore is full with educational

symbols destroyed by the technology development

now. Further, a game in software on various

computer devices, and other electronic devices have

serious negative consequences on society, especially

for early childhood education. Children are reluctant

to get along with peers, and egoism stand out once

(Azizah, 2013). This condition makes them uprooted

from the world of 'learning while playing together to

create social relationship'.

Many causes of the decline value of lagu

dolanan, which is shown by the indicators used in

the pilot study, such as: (1) the programs of

television rarely show the games that go with lagu

dolanan, (2 children likely sing songs themed

romance than sing lagu dolanan; (3)

parents’business make children play only

accompanied by the electronic media, so that they

never hear again his parents sang lagu dolanan; (4)

educational institutions are also intensified extra-

curricular activities of a foreign language than to

promote lagu dolanan; (5) great enthusiasts art

school in Indonesia coming from foreign

communities showed as if Indonesian youth are

reluctant to learn traditional culture; (6) scientists

mostly just reviewing lagu dolanan on its cultural

phenomenon and analyzing the character of song

lyrics (Suwardi, 2009). The efforts of preserving

lagu dolanan are limited to collection only as

Hardjasoebrata (1955), Hadisumarto (1958),

Atmosoemarto (1960) and Dwidjosoebroto

(1992), Brown (2004), Die (2011), and Heydon and

O'Neill (2014) have done. These setback indicators

indicate that lagu dolanan will most likely migrate

to other countries. Someday when our young

generation wants to understand the culture of its

people including lagu dolanan they will learn from

other countries.

This urgency of this research is an effort to raise

lagu dolanan into early childhood learning For this

reason, the Ministry of Education tried to survive by

holding seminars based on the local culture; also

members of the observer on Early Childhood

Education to seek learning stepsin preserving the

Suratmi, N. and Fita Heriyawati, D.

Lenong Lagu Dolanan’s Model for Building Children’s Basic Competencies and Character.

DOI: 10.5220/0009912500120016

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Recent Innovations (ICRI 2018), pages 12-16

ISBN: 978-989-758-458-9

traditional culture including lagu dolanan.

Ironically, the tragic fate suffered by TK Indriya

Taman Siswa Yogyakarta founded by Ki Hadjar

Dewantoro for 2016/2017 school year only

amounted to fifteen children for two levels namely

A and B classes. This institute that consistent

preserve local culture including lagu dolanan is even

considered old-fashioned by the parents. They are

not interested in entering their children to this

institution, they prefer the modern early childhood

education that provide additional teaching

computers, English, music and so on. Parents never

realize that this kind of institution will cause the

child to be deprived from his world, that is to play.

Kindergarten is no longer a 'beautiful park' for

children to learn while playing, but instead it is a

'park' that burden learners with tasks done by

children. As a psychological impact, children get a

bad picture of higher education institutions.

Furthermore, there has also been the erosion of

character of the Indonesian young generation.

Responding to this, the Ministry of National

Education requires character values in the school

community should start from the basic education,

namely early childhood. This suggests that efforts to

form the personality of the students to become good

human beings, citizens, and good citizens should

begin as early as possible. Educational government

also responded well to this recommendation by

requiring early childhood to develop 9 pillars of

basic character of early childhood.

Welcoming this Educational government

program mentioned above, the researchers are

interested in doing in-depth research about the lagu

dolanan to develop basic competencies and

characters of children in the form of fun learning.

Playing is an activity that the child does with or

without using tools that generate understanding and

provide information, give pleasure, and develop the

child's imagination spontaneously and without

burden. According Piaget in Sujiono (2009: 144)

play is an activity that is done repeatedly and cause

satisfaction for one's self. In addition, playing can

help children know themselves and their

environment.

One model of learning fun is playing a role or

role play. The methods of playing a role is the game

that portray the characters or objects around the

child so that they can develop the imagination and

appreciation of the material (Anderson et al, 2010;

Kurniasih, Komariah, and Rodiah, 2017; Volk,

2004). There are two types of role play, which are

the role of macro and micro. Playing the role of

micro is only done alone (either as a figure or

director), while in the macro role play, some

children become the role played and the teacher

becomes the director story and continuity of the role

of all the characters involved, demanding synergistic

cooperation.

Lenong lagu dolanan is the development of Role

Play, in which the entire audience involved to be

active in the game. The researchers have conducted

a pilot study to apply the role play in lagu dolanan,

it turns out that the active role holders only, while

the audience, may feel bored has undertaken actions

that interfere with his friends.

Related research of lagu dolanan has been done

by Tuti (2009) who studied the game with the song

of Java to create cultural values. Kurniawati (2009)

gave input on the structure of some selected

Javanese songs. While Nawangsih (2012),

Nugrahani (2012), and Wijaya (2013) researching

about the character of a number (less than 10 pieces)

in tembang Jawa. All of these researches not only

provide input to researcher related the theory, but

also related to the steps of data analysis.

Lagu dolanan are integrated into the curriculum

and design of daily activities then implemented in

the learning process (as a core activity) then, the

childrenare expected to underlie later became fully

good moral, intelligent and noble personality.

Indirectly, the application of lagu dolanan will

enhance the professional competence of teachers in

the early childhood learning techniques.

Based on the above description, then the

researchers formulated the research problems as

follows: (1) Is lagu dolanan potential for learning in

early childhood institutions? (2) Is lagu dolanan

potentially develop basic competencies and

characters of children? (3) Is Lenong lagu dolanan

model influence the basic character and competence

of children?

2 METHOD

This research uses mixed method that is qualitative

and quantitative design. Qualitative design

conducted on 105 pieces lagu dolanan collected by

Tedjo Hadisumarto (1958) through 2 stages, namely:

(1) translating from Javanese into Indonesian and

interpreting the meaning of lagu dolanan; and (2)

analyzing potential lagu dolanan for children’s

learning material. Validation of the translation was

done by Suwito Joyo Suwondo, who works as a

dalang (the expert of puppets play) in Malang Raya.

While the validation of the teaching material of

lagu dolanan carried out by the expert from

Lenong Lagu Dolanan’s Model for Building Children’s Basic Competencies and Character

Kanjuruhan University of Malang. The instrument of

this study is field note, observation checklist, and

documentation.

Furthermore, the experimental research in the

form of two groups Pretest-Posttest Design used to

prove the effectiveness of the model Lenong lagu

dolanan towards influencing a children basic

characters and competencies. The sample of this

study is the students of B class TK Muslimat NU 12

Malang as one of Kindergarten in East Java. The

researchers decide that B2 as the control group and

B1 as the experimental group.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results of this study are from the results of the

analysis through two stages, namely: stage of

translation and interpretation the meaning of lagu

dolanan; and the stage of potential learning analysis

for early childhood. To understand the meaning,

these songs had to be translated first because it still

uses the Javanese language with the old spelling.

The teachers, especially young ones, will have

difficulties in understanding the meaning of lagu

dolanan.

3.1 Spelling

Table 1. The description of spelling

Spelling Words

Meaning

long new long new

dj / j /

/ j /

meneng king

eneng king

come

king

tj / č /

c / č

tjinde cinde belt

/ y /

y /y

nggujang gguyang bathe

nj / ny

ny / ny /

unju-

lunju

unyu-

lunyu

slippery

3.2 Words That is Dead / Missing.

This whole lagu dolanan uses the old Javanese that

it is seldom for the teacher to understand the

meaning of it. This is because many Javanese words

that are no longer used in modern society, or even

the meaning is not understood. Here are some

words in the song that no longer no use in modern

society.

Table 2. The description of missing words

Song Missing words

1 Sur-Kupluk

Sur kupluk djondjang miring.

manuk gemak kapiludjang. tak ludjang ludjang

ludjang

8 Dempo

Dempo talu taméng, Naladjaja numbak tjéléng,

keris bengkung tumbak bengkong Naladjaja

ditalikung, tjijét tjijét,

aladjaja di bebentjét.

Lindri bina bintrik

Lindri bibi bina bintrik, salantari bibi bina

bintrik,

salantara bibi bina bintrik. paré ajam solahé

solahé anéng embanan, két éngkét két po,

enjénjang penjénjéng gung.

3.3 Learning Material of Lagu Dolanan

Out of 105 lagu dolanan collected by Tedjo

Hadisumarto (1958), around 74% which has

potential as learning materialin early childhood

institutions due to meet the theme or sub-themes in

the childhood curriculum that can be implemented

for the initial, core and final stages. From the

analysis of 105 of lagu dolanan, only 35 pieces

(30%) songs can be used in core learning, all of

these songs can be developed in accordance with the

themes contained in the early childhood curriculum.

While 46 pieces (44%) of songs can only be used in

the classical activities as in opening and closing

activities

3.4 Unused for Learning Activities

A total of 24 pieces (26%) lagu dolanan cannot be

used in learning because it is just a repetition of

previous songs or just an imitation of animals or

gamelan (Javanese musical instruments) sounds.

Lagu dolanan that cannot be used in children's

learning activities are:

Dempo, Bagong Ngamuk, Nantang mungsuh,

Sastrakara that described violent behavior or

accidents.

Tjing Tjo Ho, Lho kowe nang that described bad

behavior of small children who are lazy.

Jen lagi sinau, Sang Hjang that contain advice

or compliments to the Almighty.

Jur Gajur, Emplek-emplek ketepu that the lyrics

are too long for children to memorized.

Reng Gareng, Kajur Tjinde, Pendisil, Pelem

mentah that give bad behavior picture.

Janggola, E ... E E …. e, Pung-djrik djrik

djir pung, Jun-junan that contain only animal

sounds and noises.

ICRI 2018 - International Conference Recent Innovation

The rest of the songs have only repeated the

previous song, but in different styles as in Sepuran

and Sinten nunggang sepur, which the first is the

East Java and the other is Central Java styles.

In the quantitative form we can see the results of

statistical computation from the students score

shows that the value of experimental group is (-

22.244) taught by the Lenong lagu dolanan’s model

is higher than the control group (-11.994) taught by

the story telling’s model. Due to the significance

level of 0.05 (0.000 < 0.05). This means that the

model is effective to influence the basic competence

and character of children. To be brief, it also can be

seen in the following diagram:

Figure 1: The results of statistical computation

Lenong lagu dolanan’s model is also proven to

improve the basic character and competencies of the

children. Six kinds of basic competencies

established in the learning with this model, namely:

(1) linguistics (express with words); (2) musical

(singing and dancing); (3) cognitive (recognition of

object around); (4) visual spatial (think through

images, create forms); (5) kinesthetic (using

expressive body); (6) naturalistic (classified using

traits). Furthermore, the basic characters that can be

developed are: (1) graceful and love God; (2)

self-confidence, self-supporting, creative; (3) good,

low profile; (4) saying wisely; (5) cooperation; (6)

discipline; (7) dare; (8) hard work; (9) eager wants

to know; (10) responsibility; (11) communicative.

The results are consistent with the research

conducted by Tarwiyah (2009), Kurniawati (2009),

Nawangsih (20012), Nugrahani (2012), and Wijaya

(2013), which prove that lagu dolanan does have

noble value to be preserved. By inserting lagu

dolanan in learning material of early childhood

institutions, as well as be able to develop basic

competencies and character of the children

4 CONCLUSION AND

SUGGESTION

The analysis result of 105 lagu dolanan appears that

only 35 pieces (30%) songs can be used in core of

learning, all of these songs can be developed in

accordance with the themes contained in the early

childhood curriculum. While 46 pieces (44%) of

songs can only be used in the activities of classical

activities in the opening and closing activities,

because the songs are just a game. The remaining 24

pieces (26%) of the songs cannot be used in the

learning because it is only a repetition of previous

songs or just an imitation of animals or gamelan

(Javanese musical instruments). The results of

experimental study show that the use of lagu

dolanan is effective to build the basic competencies

and characters of children. It is suggested to the

managers of kindergarten, government, and

curriculum designer for young learners to include

lagu dolanan as the local content of the early

childhood curriculum. For kindergarten teachers it

is advisable to increase self-creativity in order to

develop methods of play-based learning, so that the

learning atmosphere with lagu dolanan becomes

live, active, and interesting activity for children.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was supported by a grant of DRPM for

Hibah Bersaing research from the Minister of

Directorate Higher Education of Indonesia.

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