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What is Theme Based Curriculum (Thematic Learning)? Improve students’ learning

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In Indonesia, students for the last three decades had had access to rigorous curricula. Parents and teachers also played a strong component in the curiccula, without knowing it. Parental and peer pressures were strong factors in the every student’s performance specifically in Math, Science studies, History, Geography, and Languages. Thus, sometimes students studied these subjects without being able to understand the usage of the knowledge they acquired in their daily life or future, and teachers or parents also had not been able to simplify subject matters at home or at school.

So, there could be an integrated curricula that could help students more to comprehend better and thus, remember things better once facing an exam.

For the last few years, theme based curriculum was applied only in kindergarten and lower class Primary Schools (I,II, & III). This approach has been widely used in almost all kindergarten have been using thematic learning in accordance to how young children see, observe, and understand the world by acting, listening, hearing, conversing, sensing, and acting.

So what is theme based Curriculum? In one simple sentence it means that teachers invite their students to make connection and integrate “big ideas” and concepts of language, arts, social studies, science, and math. Unlike the current model of teaching where specific areas are being taught independently by its subcjet matter that its pre-developed curricula set by some educational experts, thematic learning concept has been seen by the government as a powerful tool for students to under concepts especially in this modern world.

Most human beings generally learn things by connecting ideas, just like young children. We mimics stuff. We try to learn something by searching, doing, imitating, acting, listening, writing it down, talking, and taking a grand conclusion.

Do we remember how our brain works? Our brain has lots of cells and conections. The natural learning process is by making connections.

Would the curricula work for higher classes in the Primary School, Junior or Senior School? For the time being, it is one good model to prepare the students for the modern world of work.

These day, the professional work puts a high value on the ability to synthsesize knowledge from different sources, problems, and to work good with others. Not only that, our world today demand young people today to work fast, coherent, discipline, creative, and highly motivated to get the things done.

Whatever curriculum we may have,  Indonesia should have a High-Quality General Education Curriculum that uses good design, method, organization, and method. Good Curriculum also should be rooted in ideas, principles, and skills essential in respective discipline.

For curriculum to be relevant, students must see and understand how it connects to their own lives—what they have learned and experienced both in and outside of school—as well as to its importance for their futures in specific fields and as participating citizens (Beane, 1997; CCE, 1994; NCTM, 2000; NCSS, 1994; NMSA, 1995).

So now, regarding the 2013 Thematic Learning that would be implemented widely in Indonesia, teachers should start trying to plan a collaborative venture, daily activities, and put more importance in their students’ outcomes. The impact of integrated curriculum is that students could know about diversity, be critical thinkers, active citizens, be creative and environmentally aware, and in the same time in the 21st century have excellent communicatin and inquiry skills. (erlass dphst12)