Student Admission Policy Based on Zonation System may a Constraint to Technology-Based Geography Learning Process in Semarang City

Abstract

Geography teaches students about environment, spatial, and territorial, which focuses on atmosphere, lithosphere hydrosphere, and biosphere. To achieve minimal classical completeness as learning outcomes, each teacher must develop innovative media and learning models. This is even more challenging because of the zoning system for student admission that requires school to accept 50% students based on home distance from school, then 30% for outstanding student, 15% for affirmation, and 5% for transfer students. This causes student input with diverse characters that may impact on learning process. This research studies aimed to inventorying various challenges from teacher’s perspective of student input to geography learning process, for improving learning policies. This research was involved 35 respondents of geography teachers from all high schools in Semarang City. Respondents voluntarily filling teaching competency questionnaire, continued with in-depth interviews about problems of teaching process. The results showed that the zoning system made student’s cognition gap wider. It also made teacher lowering teaching standards, even they had very high performant on pedagogical and learning technology. However, the teacher provides, an innovative technology-based learning application model being ineffective because some application was uncommon for student, especially students from coastal area. In the end, the geography learning process was more dominant using conventional learning and applies technology only as an icebreaking and formative evaluation activity. School improvement assistance is needed, to support teachers in developing potential-based learning technology that supports schools.

Keywords: geography learning process, technology-based learning, zonation system