The Development of Learning Task Through Students’ Feedbac

A Process of Lesson Plan by Lesson Study

Marheny Lukitasari

and Rusdi Hasan

Department Pendidikan Biologi, FKIP, UNIPMA,Jl Setia Budi 85 Madiun, Indonesia

Department Pendidikan Biologi, FKIP, Universitas Muhammadiyah Bengkulu, Jl Bali, Kota Bengkulu, Indonesia

marheny@unipma.ac.id

Keywords: developing, learning task, lesson plan, lesson study, student feedback.

Abstract: The purpose of this research is to describe the development of learning task based on students’ response in

lesson study activity. The arrangement of lesson plan as the steps of lesson study needs creativity and

brainstorming through learning community. This research is implemented in Cell Biology course with four

times lesson study activities. This research uses descriptive qualitative method. Observations, interviews and

student responses to the learning task are treated as feedbacks that describe the quality of it that have been

compiled in the lesson plan. There are four finding in this study i.e. 1)variation of learning task more diverse,

2)students learning community was formed through discussion activities,3) the average time spent by students

in completing the learning task are varied 4) students achieve better understanding in regard of material. We

conclude that student response can be used as consideration in developing and improving the quality of

learning task.

1 INTRODUCTION

Learning task arrangement is an important part of

lesson planning activity. In lesson study activity,

lesson planning is done in collaboration among

lecturers in the same subject matter. Each individual

will involve and deliver their ideas to develop the

learning task in detail (Förtsch et al., 2017). Thus,

developing lesson planning is an important activity,

which encourage communication as well as

identifying problem and possible solution in learning

through considering students response in doing the

assignment given as an important part of learning to

develop students’ activeness during the learning

process (Rumapea et al., 2017). Therefore, the

arrangement of assignment type is a very important

part of lesson planning. In arranging the assignment,

the students must consider the material content, time

estimation needed by the students to complete the

task, type of assignment and the possible solution as

well as the difficulty level (Fujii, 2016). The type of

assignment is very potential in developing the

students’ thinking concept, helping the

understanding, as well as building students’

communication through discussion during the task

completion process.

More effort has been made to support the

improvement of the quality of material learning such

as variations of models, methods, and approaches to

learning (Alshwaikh and Adler, 2017; Fujii, 2016;

Hsiao, 2017). However, the preparation stage of

lesson plan and the way to connect students to one

another during learning process play important role as

the key aspect to improve student comprehension

(Ansawi and Pang, 2017). The quality of tasks that

are designed in the lesson plan and are conducted in

the course play an important role in that the effort.

The tasks in detail context involving type, form,

variation and so forth are important parts of learning

plan so that capable to build student understanding

properly.

Learning task as a good assignment that can

improve students' understanding is an interesting

issue to be discussed. The importing thing is due to

the quality tests capable to improve students'

understanding through a quality learning process.

Some studies show that task forms are an important

part of lesson plan (Yildiz and Karabiyik, 2012), by

lesson study. Designing a qualified lesson plan can

increase students' understanding of the material and

also makes teachers more capable to understand,

select, modify, and apply tasks that are cognitively

demanding in learning process (Roelle and Berthold,

2017). Lesson study activities involve teacher

Lukitasari, M. and Hasan, R.

The Development of Learning Task Through Students’ Feedback - A Process of Lesson Plan by Lesson Study.

In Proceedings of the Annual Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities (ANCOSH 2018) - Revitalization of Local Wisdom in Global and Competitive Era, pages 191-195

ISBN: 978-989-758-343-8

191

collaboration in preparing a learning plan,

implementing learning practice, observing learning

process, reflecting learning process and analysing its

impact on learners, revising and organizing

appropriate learning, as well as share findings in the

learning process can improve understanding and

teaching techniques of teachers. The mistakes made

by the teacher to be a reflection and evaluation to

make better further learning (Förtsch et al., 2017).

Preparation activity of tasks in the lesson plan is

necessary conducted collaboratively through the

process of discussion and sharing opinion (Bruce,

Flynn, and Bennett, 2016). Designing step of the

learning task in the lesson plan is a critical process in

generating better learning plans and lessons (Förtsch

et al., 2017). However, the learning tasks are prepared

in the lesson plan do not guarantee its suitability or

quality according to the characteristics of the learners

when applied during learning process in the

classroom. Therefore, feedback or input from

students to the questions of the given learning task

can be a benchmark of developing the learning task.

2 METHODS

This is descriptive qualitative research that is

conducted to get the description of the learning plan

preparation, especially learning task preparation that

implemented through lesson study. The sample was

take through purposive sampling with 37 students of

third semester and 39 students of fifth semester who

took biology cell subject. Data were obtained through

observation, documentation, and interview to the

students during the implementation of learning with

four cycles.

Four indicators were used to determine the quality

of learning tasks. They are 1) the variation of learning

task based on level of difficulty, 2) the ability of

learning task to encourage learning community in

discussion, 3) the duration is needed to complete

learning task, and 4) the percentage of student who

answer correctly according to his thinking skill about

the material of the learning task[11].

The preparation activity of learning plans for four

times of lesson plan focused especially on the

preparation of learning task with multiple difficulty

levels that objected to connect students each other

while studying Cell Biology. In this process, the

lecturer model presented the learning plan is prepared

independently to be discussed during the plan to the

lecturer team. There are six lesson plans in which in

every plan belong to three materials that will be

discussed. Each material will be conducted in to

lectures. The material compiled by learning task are

1) structure and function of cell membrane2) cell

membrane permeability, 3) mitochondria

(distribution and morphology), and 4) mitochondria

(transport and function).

The learning task are designed with concern to the

four indicators above consisted of three questions for

each lecture. Therefore, there are sixteen tasks of

difficulty levels for total four meetings. When the

lesson was unfolded, students read, discussed and

analyzed the materials related to cell membrane and

mitochondria using the books is written in Indonesian

and related articles written either in Indonesian or

English. Indonesian article was prepared as an

enrichment content of cell membrane permeability

material. It was given after students studied the theory

of cell membranes based on textbooks at previous

meetings. Similarly, for the learning task given as a

means of a discussion on the mitochondrial material.

However in this part, the article was in English.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The finding were recorded through lesson plan, class

discourse and student feedback reveal the quality of

learning task and their role in directing collaborative

learning either among student or among lecturer

3.1 Variation of Learning Task based

on Level of Difficulty

Lecturer and team collaboratively designed and

arranged learning task (LT) by considering variation

in level of difficulty. The tasks were designed for four

lecture materials listed in Table 1 below.

Table 1: Variation of Learning Task (LT) form and

difficulty level.

Material 1

(Plan 1)

Difficulty

level

Material 2

(Plan 2)

Difficulty

level

(LT 1-1) C2 (LT 2-1) C3

(LT 1-2) C2 (LT 2-2) C1

(LT 1-3) C4 (LT 2-3) C4

(LT 1-4) C5 (LT 2-4) C5

Material 3

(Plan 3)

Material 4

(Plan 4)

(LT 3-1) C2 (LT 4-1) C2

(LT 3-2) C2 (LT 4-2) C4

(LT 3-3) C4 (LT 4-3) C4

(LT 3-4) C5 (LT 4-4) C5

Table 1 above shows the variation in the difficulty

level of the learning task given. Lesson plan created

four learning tasks designed for each lecture. It was

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applied either individually or in group of students.

Learning tasks number 1 – 4 different complexities

and characteristics with tiered difficulty

characteristics as well. The importance of variation of

tasks such as complexity that refers to the creativity

of the task form so that in the learning activities will

build the concept of students (Roelle and Berthold,

2017). In creating tasks, lecturers encountered

difficulty, as there were differences in their concept

related to Cell Biology materials that are discussed

and the strategy to deliver it in discourse. However,

the difference of opinion raises their viewpoint as

well as collegiality. In turn, it positively increase their

ability and professionalism among lecturer who

attended the lesson plan activity (Fujii, 2016).

There was dynamism condition such as opinion

and argumentation exchanges that enrich and

strengthen the task quality in the discussion process

during lesson plan especially in designing learning

tasks. The variety of task forms as one of the key

components, which showed that the tasks that assist

the thinking process of students would have a direct

impact on their learning conditions. High cognitive

level task affected on conceptual knowledge of

student (Förtsch et al., 2017). On the other hand

showed that the discussions would improve the skills

of performing task analysis as well as teacher's

understanding on both planning and learning. The

tasks were applied in lesson study base learning

capable to increase both teacher and student learning

due to the increase in frequency, emphasis and

implementation of quality tasks (Bruce et al., 2016).

3.2 Ability of Learning Task to

Encourage Learning Community in

Discussion

Learning community detected from interviews

conducted on students after following the learning

process. The results of interviews between the

researchers (R) and students (S) are presented as

follows:

R: Are you doing task on a discussion?

S: Yes, we do taskwith discussion.

R: How technical are you doing the task?

S: After task was given, we worked individually

first and after that we had a discussion

Response of the student's answer indicates that

the student has a good discussion as the beginning of

the formation of teach community to work on the

learning task. Further deeper data digging followed

by interviews with the following results:

R: Is there a dominant student in the group while

working on task?

S: There is.

R: What happened to the dominant student?

S: He conveyed a possible answer based on task.

R: Are there any students who do not express their

opinions at all?

S: There is.

R: What did the silent student do? and how other

group members react

S: We (especially me) try to ask her opinion.

Sometimes he wants to comment but often not.

The findings in the interview indicated that

students possess high academic level was still

dominant among other students in their group during

discussion session. In this case, the role of lecturer as

learning facilitator becomes very important to be able

to connect between students who were conducting

discussion. However, generally there was a change of

student behaviour that leads to form a learning

community as collaboration to resolve learning tasks

in the discussion (Alshwaikh and Adler, 2017).

Behaviour change through the implementation of

lesson study have been reported widely in many

subject of discourse (Ansawi and Pang, 2017;

Lieberman, 2009; Paper, 2016; Zhou, Xu, and

Martinovic, 2017). Support that the suggested to

improvement of knowledge related to the content of

the subject matter was a direct impact felt by the

students (Angelini and Álvarez, 2017). The higher the

quality of the learning task the more strongly

encourages students to discuss in order to solve the

problem in learning task. This directly encourages the

formation of collaboration between students so that

sharing and learning community activities are formed

in the classroom.

3.3 Duration is Needed to Complete

Learning Task

The time duration that was needed by students in

resolving learning task become our concern on this

study. Lecturer has set it in the lesson plan for each

learning task that vary according to level of difficulty

based on teachers perceive. In this area, student

feedback was very important due to reflect whether

level of difficulty according teacher and student is in

line as shown in table 2 below.

The Development of Learning Task Through Students’ Feedback - A Process of Lesson Plan by Lesson Study

193

Table 2: Average duration of time required to complete

learning task.

Learning

Task

(LT)

Duration

of time

required

(minutes)

Learning

Task

(LT)

Duration of

time

required

(minutes)

LT 1-1 10,45 LT 3-1 12,45

LT 1-2 14,56 LT 3-2 18,50

LT 1-3 10,55 LT 3-3 30,40

LT 1-4 17,00 LT 3-4 30,25

LT 2-1 08,55 LT 4-1 15,25

LT 2-2 15,05 LT 4-2 25,15

LT 2-3 15,55 LT 4-3 28,15

LT 2-4 20,12 LT 4-4 30,22

Table 2 shows that the average duration of time

required in completing learning tasks is varied

between 8 to 30 minutes. Designing and adapting task

(including sanction of time duration for completing

task) in lesson plan is critical step in in lesson study

due it determine whether the goal of lesson can be

reached (Fujii, 2016). In general context, The Florida

Education Association (FEA) states that it is very

important to consider the duration of time in the

implementation of learning because it will affect the

quality. It is assumed that higher quality and level of

difficulty of learning task needs more time to resolve.

The result showed that level of difficulty of learning

tasks mostly in line between lecturer and student

perception (Julien and Daniel, 2017). There are some

learning tasks with lower difficulty according to

lecturer opinion in lesson plan need more time to

complete by students. This finding was very valuable

as feedback to design task with better quality in

further discourse.

3.4 Student Feedback to the Learning

Task

Results obtained from the work of learning task by

students can be observed from some answers that are

delivered as follows.

Response (LT 1-1):Cell membrane is a barrier in

cells that serves to protect the inside of the

cell, giving the cell shape, as the way out of

entry of nutrients or molecules into cells that

have the permeability and barrier properties

between the extra fluid cells and intra-cell.

Student responses to (LT 1-1) are averaging an

answer that tends to be correct with the sentence

model according to the character of each student.

These findings indicate that students have sufficiently

understood the concept of cell membranes as an

important part in the mechanism and coordination

between cells. The assignment produced from LT 1-

1 is still in the level of knowledge. However, those

task are greed to be given as it will give the basic

knowledge for students to answer the next

assignment. The indicator for developing the multi-

difficulty level assignment is the important aspect for

the students to recall the previous knowledge

obtained from the previous lesson (Dunlosky et al.,

2013)

Response (LT 1-2)

Figure 1. Different response responses to LT 1-2:

Complete and correct cell membrane images with their

descriptions 9 (above), and not complete imagine with the

wrong perception (below).

Based on the student's response to LT 1-2 in

Figure 1 shows that there are differences in the

answers observed from the delivery of images and

concepts that are related to the cell membrane

structure. The findings indicate is capable of making

the students to recall and re-confirm the material-

related understanding, although still encountered an

exposure error as shown in Figure 1 (below).

Response 1 (LT 3-3): Same, because the

mitochondria in the cell have the same

structure and morphology and function. The

shape of mitochondria may change because

there is a different energy-consuming process

(ATP) so that the shape also changes

Response 2 (LT 3-3): No, because the number of

mitochondria in the cell depends on the

activity of the cell. the higher the activity, the

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more energy needed so that the number of

mitochondria also become more and more.

Results of the 1 and 2 responses that appear on the

results of the work on LT 3-3 shows variation of the

answers from the students. Response 1 shows that

students understand that mitochondria are cell

organelles that act as energy sources. However, due

to the structure and number of mitochondria in the

cell, response 1 still indicates a misconception of the

concept. Response 2 shows the wrong answer but it

gives the correct reason. The two responses conveyed

resulted in the learning task being able to provide

important thought contradictions to foster their

understanding of the material. The students’

responses toward the learning task show their views

and understanding, so it help the lecturer to evaluate

the achievement (Lieberman, 2009).

4 CONCLUSIONS

Developing learning tasks through lesson study and

using student responses as feedback can be developed

to improve the quality of learning tasks. Pattern of

learning task becomes more varied, qualified and able

to build the learning community of students in

learning so that directly impact on the increase of

student understanding of cell membrane permeability

and mitochondria. These results indicate that lesson

study gives positive contribution especially when

creating of learning task in the learning plan either to

the quality of learning task or to learning community

between teacher and student.

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