Impact of a Place-Based Education Curriculum on Indigenous Teacher and Students

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the impact of a place-based education curriculum (PBE) on the indigenous teacher empowerment and improvement of indigenous students' learning achievement. This study applied mixed method research particularly concurrent triangulation design. The study took place in a remote indigenous elementary school in Papua, Indonesia. The participants were an indigenous teacher and eleven indigenous students. The PBE curriculum entitled "Who is Papuans" was developed by integrating the indigenous students' place. Findings of the study revealed an effective teaching for the indigenous teacher provided by developing and practicing the PBE curriculum. In order to teach indigenous students effectively, there is a need for indigenous teacher to: (a) focussing on the curriculum; (b) starting from day to day of students' life; (c) emphasizing the use of dialogs, pictures, story, writing, and telling; and (d) utilizing the cultural approach to enable students' learning achievement. By developing and practicing the PBE curriculum, indigenous teacher also obtained a new sight of culture awareness.