The Significance of Identity Formation in Early Childhood Education
By: Mutahassin Bilhaq
Malang, LPM AQUA-Wednesday (29/12/2021) Since March 2020,
Indonesia has been experiencing a Covid-19 pandemic. This condition undoubtedly
has a significant impact on several sectors, including education. Regulations
imposed by the government, such as the wearing of masks, the keeping of a safe
distance, the prohibition of gathering, and so on, have caused many agencies,
including educational institutions, to implement a variety of new policies in
the conduct of their activities. At the start of the pandemic, the government
instructed people to study for 14 days online from home, and it turned out that
this instruction was extended into the following year. When we arrive in
November 2021, the world has changed dramatically. Many schools and
universities throughout this country have and will continue to have limited
face-to-face teaching and learning processes with strict health protocols. As a
result, the question of how student learning outcomes are affected during a
pandemic arises.
According to the findings of Animar &
Wulandya (2020), there is a decrease in student scores in geography subjects at
SMA Negeri 1 Sikur. When students learn offline, they receive an average score
of 86.27, whereas when they learn online, they receive an average score of
75.73. A'dadiyyah (2021), received the same result, namely a drop in the
mathematics scores of fifth-grade students at MI NU Wasilatut Taqwa Kudus for
the 2020/2021 academic year. She also discovered a decrease in immunity,
decreased effectiveness in learning, and decreased interaction with the
environment during online learning. Khurriyati et. al. (2021),
discovered that when the teaching and learning process is carried out online,
students at MI Muhammadiyah 5 Surabaya, who typically receive learning outcomes
below the passing grade, actually receive better grades. Investigate, and you
will discover that the study also stated that many students received
comprehensive and direct assistance from their parents, relatives, or neighbors
who accompanied them during online learning. Of course, this will have a
negative impact on students' future development.
The disadvantages of online learning can
be divided into two categories: technical and non-technical issues. According
to Amalia & Sa'adah (2020), technical issues include teachers and students'
limited ability to adapt and master information technology, insufficient
facilities and infrastructure, and limited internet access. As for the
non-technical issues mentioned earlier, namely the lack of interaction, most
students only listen to their teachers' lectures or watch video recordings.
I've had both technical and non-technical problems, and I believe it's just a
matter of time and adaptability. All parties have put in a lot of effort to
solve this problem. The Covid-19 pandemic is also expected to become endemic, the
government and all levels of society are working hard to achieve this goal.
However, there is one constant that cannot be avoided: the passage of time.
Massive changes brought about by
innovation and modernization occur all the time, propelling the system and
order to a new level. The modernization that is taking place in this country
has a significant impact on the people of Indonesia. According to Primadata &
Kusumawati (2014), modernization will crush everything that remains in its
place. This means that anyone who is unable to adapt to changing times will be
left behind. Education is one of the fields that is still undergoing
modernization; we all understand how important education is. Education, as
stated by Alpian et al. (2019), plays a significant role in the preparation and
development of superior and competitive human resources. Then, how should
students be prepared to deal with changing times or difficult conditions that
may arise? There is only one thing to do, and that is to start building and
mentally preparing as soon as possible.
Setiawati (2020), defines mental as an
invisible thing that is closely related to human body parts such as psyche,
soul, or spirit. This mentality will also influence a person's actions or
attitudes. According to Dariyo (2004), mental readiness is a psychological to
emotional condition that prepares one to face the risks that may arise.
Individuals who are mentally prepared will be able to adjust to the various
problems and challenges that come their way more easily. Has (2018) discovered
that there was a significant influence between students' mental readiness and
learning outcomes in class XI SMA Negeri 1 Pangkalan Kuras Pelalawan Regency,
the t-count results showed the number 2.178 while the t table is 1.675. The
study's findings serve as the foundation for why students or students need to
mentally prepare well. The next question, how to prepare their mentality in
facing the era of modernization of education in Indonesia, so that they can
adapt well and get satisfactory grades? The answer, by forming self-identity
consciously from an early age.
What exactly is the process of forming
this identity? Teachers and parents frequently asked us as children what we
aspired to be or what we wanted to be when we grew up. Many of the people who
responded to these questions said they wanted to be teachers, doctors, police
officers, or soldiers. But have we ever been asked to identify ourselves? When
asked this question, most people will respond with their full name, nickname,
occupation, and position. However, who we are is not like that; rather, it is
the identity in which we believe or who we aspire to be. For example, if you
ask me who I am, I will say that I am a wise person, healthy, long-lived,
useful to the world, disciplined, hardworking, never give up, full of positive
energy, confident, happy, have a harmonious and cheerful family, wealthy, success,
blessed and protected by God. When I was first asked the same question by one
of Indonesia's motivators and success coaches, I did not yet have that identity
because I was never asked or directed to have such an identity as a child.
Every day, miraculously, I get closer to the identity that I speak about every
day.
According to Waringin (2018), an identity
that is not well structured and designed by ourselves is often acquired
unconsciously from the environment or other people. This is risky because, as
we all know, the current environment is not ideal. Many people choose to
unconsciously speak about their character or identity, especially if the
identity is negative. Someone who says, "I am a careless person," for
example. Unknowingly, that person will do anything to demonstrate that he is
not cautious, and when it is demonstrated that he is not cautious, that person
will understand because he believes he is not cautious. If someone says
something like that, all of their beliefs, actions, words, and feelings will
always reflect what they thought was their identity. I personally believe in
the law of attraction, which states that if we work hard, pray, and believe
that we deserve and will accept something, we will eventually get it.
The big question is, how will this
identity be formed, and who will shape it? Of course, many roles will later
play a role in the formation of this identity, ranging from parents at home to
teachers at school to friends in their environment. This identity should
ideally begin to form at a young age, namely when children begin to enter early
childhood education. The ability to never give up and easily adapt to new
situations is an example of an identity that can be formed and taught. Finally,
we can see that early childhood education should not be taken lightly; if
children are taught from an early age to have a positive self-identity, they
will be mentally prepared to deal with difficult situations. This mental
preparedness will greatly help students deal with modernization or difficult
times, such as the current pandemic. (mb)
(3rd
Place Patafest International Essay Competition 2021)
REFERENCES
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