Qualitative Response on the Utilization of the Use of Culturally Familiar Material versus Conventional Material

 

 

Susana Yohana Yembise

 

 

The paper presents on going research project on the use of culturally familiar material in improving students’ academic performance. It aims at obtaining responses from students on the use culturally familiar material versus the conventional material. A qualitative research was employed using questionnaire for obtaining students responses on the materials utilized in classroom experimentation in Timika, West Papua, Indonesia. It involved 80 students of junior high school aged 13-15. There were 40 students receiving culturally relevant material, and the other 40 students receiving the conventional material. They come from the highland of West Papuan with multiethnic/linguistic background. They all speak their vernacular fluently; unfortunately, they do not speak Indonesian well. All students in this study were considered very low in their academic competence. Data was gathered via questionnaire to two cohorts: 40 students receiving culturally relevant material, and 40 students receiving the conventional material. A qualitative data analysis was applied which is descriptive in nature. The result revealed that there was a significantly positive response from subjects receiving the culturally relevant material when contrasted with subjects receiving the conventional material.

 

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Yembise, S. Y. (2005, March). Qualitative response on the utilization of the use of culturally familiar material versus conventional material. Paper presented at LIA International Conference, Jakarta, Indonesia. 

 

 

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