Homeschooling: An Alternative Education Based on Potential of Children

Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 401 International Conference on Educational Research and Innovation (ICERI 2019) Homeschooling: An Alternative Education Based on Potential of Children Nining Purwaningsih Non Formal Education Department. Yogyakarta State University Yogyakarta, Indonesia niningpurwaningsih.2017@student.uny.ac.id Abstract—The reason underlying homeschoolers decide on homeschooling education is because of the emergence of the desire to provide education that supports children's competence in their field. In addition, due to factors distrust of formal schooling and the provision of religious education. Homeschooling is a positive alternative education to develop children's potential. Through homeschooling, children and homeschoolers together communicate learning that supports children's talents and interests. The selected curriculum adjusts the reference of education in Indonesia, but is managed flexibly based on children's autonomy. Homeschooling children learn the teaching materials required for diploma examinations that are officially recognized by the government and can be used to continue to higher education. Homeschooling children also have more opportunities to explore and develop potential based on intelligence and learning styles that are unique to each child. The flexibility of time and material decided to be studied by children contributes to the formation of independence and attitude of responsibility of children towards their learning tasks. Educational aspects include cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains, so that the homeschool education model provides satisfaction for homeschoolers and homeschooling children because it provides tangible experiences that benefit children's life skills. Keywords: homeschooling, alternative education I. INTRODUCTION Homeschooling has now become one of the alternative education models that are in demand by families in various countries, including Indonesia. Homeschooling is an educational practice that optimizes the intelligence potential possessed by each individual. According to Bunday, homeschooling is a learning or education system with an at home approach and is popularized as an alternative education at the family level and places children as subjects of learning [1]. Homeschooling is one of the alternative child-friendly schools in the future. Homeschooling accelerates the achievement of a civilized learning community. The approach model that focuses on multiple intelligences and children's absorption ability is in accordance with the concept of education that prioritizes the humanistic element [2]. Homeschooling can be stated as an effective alternative education in developing children's potential. The direct output of homeschooling is Puji Yanti Fauziah Non Formal Education Department. Yogyakarta State University Yogyakarta, Indonesia pujiyanti@uny.ac.id academic excellence, community builder and good character. Outcomes resulting from homeschooling are that children can continue their education to a higher level, can learn independently, can learn from others, and participate in social activities [3]. Homeschooling or home schooling is an educational model that places the family as the main educator. Homeschooling first developed in the United States in line with the thought of John Caldwell Holt in the 1960s. Holt's basic thinking is that "humans are basically learning creatures and enjoy learning; we don't need to be shown how to study. The pleasure of learning is killed by people who try to interrupt, regulate, or control it ". Holt's thoughts do not necessarily bring up homeschooling as an alternative education for children, but that thought triggers families and education circles to think critically about education and school. Holt's philosophy related to homeschooling does not only take the view that education is an academic provision for life and not just transferring the school model to the home. Education in homeschooling is seen as a natural experience that befell individuals in their daily lives when these individuals interact with one another [4]. Based on interviews with homeschoolers in Yogyakarta, (a province in Indonesia), the strongest reason for implementing homeschooling practices is the belief that educators who are most responsible for children's education are parents of these children. Homeschooling is a model of children's education that emphasizes the autonomy of children to learn things that they want to learn with the help of parents and tutors. In homeschooling practices, parents are fully aware of their roles and duties in providing education at the family level and providing opportunities for children to actualize themselves. Homeschooling education practice as education outside the school system can be held anywhere and at any time, so that children gain experience from their learning activities. II. HOMESCHOOLING IN INDONESIA Homeschooling in Indonesia is divided into three types to adjust the goals, conditions, and needs of each homeschooler, namely: single, multiple, and community homeschooling. Single homeschooling is a school format organized by parents in the family at home without joining other homeschooling. Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL. This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license -http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. 191 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 401 Compound homeschooling is a format of home schooling organized by two or more families / parents in certain activities, but the implementation of the main activities remains by each homeschooler. Community homeschooling is a combination of several compound homeschooling in the preparation and determination of syllabi, teaching materials, basic activities (language, sports, art, music), and place facilities for teaching and learning processes carried out based on a certain time [5]. Single and compound homeschooling types are classified as informal education units, according to the National Education System Law article 27 paragraph 1, "informal education activities carried out by families and the environment in the form of independent learning activities". While community homeschooling is classified as a non-formal education unit based on Article 26 paragraph 4 of the National Education System Law, "learning groups are determined as one of the classifications of alternative education models which are non-formal education units". Homeschooling raised in this study is a single homeschooling that is in education in the informal domain. Policies related to homeschooling based on Law No. 20 of 2003 article 23 article 27 paragraph 2 states that the government does not regulate the standards of the content and process of informal education services. On the other hand, the government provides assessment standards and diplomas for homeschooling graduates if they want to be equated with formal education and can continue their level of education even up to college. Indonesia as one of the countries that provides a legal umbrella on the legality of the homeschooling education model provides an alternative curriculum that can be used as a reference for homeschooling that is accessed through www.puskur.net. A single homeschooler family has a choice in determining teaching materials and curriculum that are appropriate to the approach and method implemented. The teaching objectives to be achieved based on a certain time span are the contents of the curriculum, while the practical material that is presented in teaching every day is teaching material. Homeschooler families also have another choice by developing creativity related to curriculum and teaching materials to suit the needs and circumstances of each family. III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The study was developed based on a qualitative approach to the type of case study research. Qualitative research is an investigative approach in which researchers collect data through direct interaction and face-to-face with the people involved in the place where the research takes place [6]. Researchers have conducted preliminary studies face to face and interact with a single homeschooler as an initial step to explore the implementation of a single homeschool, in homeschoolers with mothers working as full time housewives, active housewives in the community, and career women. The subjects in this study were selected based on purposive sampling technique, which is a technique so that certain people, events, and settings really provide important information or work out choices that might not be obtained through other techniques [7]. This study involved two single homeschoolers and significant others. That homeschoolers homeschoolers living in Yogyakarta (provinces in Indonesia) with a background in undergraduate education and differences in the profession of mothers. As for the two homeschoolers in this study, namely: 1. Homeschoolers with mothers living as housewives, hereinafter referred to as homeschoolers N. 2. Homeschoolers with the profession of mothers as activists, hereinafter referred to as homeschoolers P. 3. Siginificant others (SO) referred to the author is someone who lives in one house with research subjects and influences the subject in applying learning in homeschooling. SO in this study are homeschooling children from both homeschoolers The techniques used to collect data in this study include: interviews, observation, and documentation. The type of interview used in research is more intense through structured interviews. Researchers as key instruments using the help of interview guidelines through a list of questions that have been compiled and recorder tools. Researchers also establish communication via via whatsapp in order to open up additional information opportunities and follow the child's learning agenda anywhere and anytime. The observation method is used to explore in detail the teaching and learning activities of homeschoolers with the profession of mothers who are full time housewives and mothers as career women. The author uses field notes as an observation method. Research with documentation studies, is intended to obtain more detailed information related to the interview process with homeschooling children. Furthermore, a documentation study was conducted to complement the interview and observation of researchers with two homeschoolers who have different professions in the mother. The required documents are the general condition of facilities and infrastructure, blogs and social media about children homeschooling, learning on and off the field. Researchers in the research used a type of source and method triangulation. Source triangulation, the researcher conducts an interview with the significant other as the closest person to the research subject. So that the researcher can compare information obtained from the research subject and significant other. Method triangulation is carried out by researchers through the use of interviews, observation, and documentation with both homeschooler. This research is carried out until the results of the data obtained by the researcher are saturated. That is, with both 192 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 401 triangilation the data collected by researchers obtain the same results continuously IV. HOMESCHOOLERS AND HOMESCHOOLING CHILDREN This study involved two Homeschooler N works as a housewife and Homeschooler P works as an activist mother. A. Homeschooler N Homeschooler N is a mother who focuses on taking care of the household and chooses to dedicate herself to educating her three children with different age ranges (ages 11 years, 9 years, and 5 years). Didactically, Homeschooler N prepares learning by communicating teaching materials with children. Nevertheless, learning planning has not been contained in the syllabus. The management of teaching and learning process at home is designed to adapt the learning abilities of each child with a different age range. Judging from the decline in religious and moral education of children today, homeschooler N is committed to implementing an informal education model that is a single homeschool for children's education. Homeschooler N has the hope that children will not be exposed to criminal acts, bullying, promiscuity, brawl, and other acts of deviation that result in damaging the morality of the nation's generus. Religious education is the main reason for homeschooling N to implement a single homeschool. Teaching materials are organized based on the curriculum of the Ministry of Education by adjusting the learning styles of each child. How to deliver teaching materials sometimes through lectures, practices, and role playing based on learning goals that must be achieved by every child. The first child from homeschooler N has published written works in the form of: illustrated stories entitled "Fatimah Story" (works at 8 years old) and "Selamat Tinggal Feli" (works at 9 years old); collection of children's stories titled "Oh Tidak! Pasti Bisa! ”(Works when he was 10 years old); and a comic titled "YouTubers Gokil" (works at the age of 10). While the second child homeschooler N has produced three simple robots, namely: car light follower (a car that moves to follow the light), flip flop lights (lights that turn on and turn off alternately), and rain sensors that will sound when exposed to water. B. Homeschooler P Homeschooler P is a mother who decided to resign from her job to become an art teacher in Jakarta since her son's decision to do a single homeschool education model. Having experience as an educator providing didactic-related experience (teaching knowledge) in the form of holding the principle of teaching giving simple examples to be mastered by children. Like, basic techniques of painting, playing guitar, and operating a blog via the internet. Not only passive, P homeschoolers spend a lot of time doing activities with the homeschooling community in Yogyakarta, such as: KOPER MANDIRI, Homeschooling Yogyakarta Semangat Berbagi, and Parents Support Group for Gifted Children JOGJA (PSGGC JOGJA). Based on the Culture Free Intelligence Test (CFIT) with a score of 142 and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) with a score of 131, children from homeschooler P were declared to have very superior intelligence so that they were declared as gifted children. WHO states that gifted or children with above average abilities are children with special needs or known as children with special needs in the international world. The teaching process that is applied procedurally is not contained in the syllabus and learning planning, but still directs and supervises children in achieving learning goals. Learning preparation is done by children, so that the delivery of learning material is based on learning goals set by the child. While deciding to study through alternative homeschooling education, children master foreign languages (English, Thai, Japanese, Arabic, and French) and master traditional dance (Javanese and Balinese). C. Single Homeschooling Learning Both of the homeschoolers implement the curriculum of National Education (Diknas) as a reference for the implementation of teaching and learning activities. The Ministry of Education curriculum is modified based on children's learning needs. The contents of the curriculum (teaching materials and targets) still adjust the standards of the Ministry of Education, but the education process runs more flexible. Children are not required to learn the contents of the curriculum in sequence. Homeschooling children are involved in compiling the curriculum (deciding on the material, learning targets, and learning methods to be used). Both homeschoolers chose to develop curriculum and teaching materials based on children's educational needs, potential, and children's interest talents. Homeschooling curriculum equips children with special skills based on children's interests and needs [8]. Both subjects provide freedom for children to explore the things they want, so that the child's unique potential can develop optimally. Homeschooler N understands the potential of the first child in the art of drawing and storytelling, so the curriculum is designed by giving plenty of time to draw. The second child from homeschooler N has an interest in robotics, so curriculum design provides an opportunity to try to make simple robotics. Whereas P homeschoolers design the curriculum by giving children the freedom to learn traditional dancing, painting, and learning various foreign languages. Both of the homeschoolers have the role of providing facilities and learning opportunities to children by providing practical and simple knowledge that has a relationship with everyday life. The following is a single homeschool practice design adopted by both homeschoolers. 193 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 401 TABLE I. SINGLE HOMESCHOOLING DESIGN ON BOTH HOMESCHOOLER Design HomeIdentification schooling of Reasons Decisions philosophical Increased capabilities as the main educator Method Homeschooler N Establish Homeschooling because of religious teaching commitments. Give priority to religious education as popular education Browse, read books, and share with other homeschoolers Unschooling Homeschooler P Choosing Homeschooling because of the wishes of children Education based on children's needs (gifted and health problems) Active in the homeschooling community, creating articles, reading books, browsing, and sharing with other homeschoolers Unschooling Based on the findings, both subjects experienced distrust of formal schooling. Revealed that homeschooling was chosen because there was a sense of dissatisfaction with formal [9]. Homeschooler N provides homeschooling education because it does not want children to be victims of the curriculum (replace the minister then replace the curriculum). Whereas P homeschoolers agree to homeschooling decisions because they do not want their children to follow all the material in the curriculum, so they do not have the opportunity to carry out educational processes that are liked and useful for the lives of children. Homeschooling is a place for children's multiple intelligences. Both homeschoolers have taken formal education, from elementary school to tertiary level. The style of homeschooling education decisions by the two subjects has a different journey. Homeschooling decisions have been planned by homeschoolers Ny.N since the beginning of marriage because of the desire to provide religious teachings, such as: teaching children to be orderly to do prayers, read and understand the contents of the Qoran and Alhadis, memorize the Qoran, close the genitals, maintain relationships between men and women, and strengthening morality. Homeschooler P implements homeschooling education as an alternative learning because of the demand from their children. The implementation of homeschooling is a form of parental responsibility for the fulfillment of human rights to obtain education based on children's needs [10]. Homeschooler P approves homeschooling decisions for her child because she considers her educational needs as a gifted and has health problems. Both homeschoolers have the role of providing facilities and learning opportunities to children by providing practical and simple knowledge that has a relationship with everyday life. The role of the two subjects in homeschooling education applies the unschooling method [11]. Both of the homeschoolers give assignments every time they carry out learning activities outside the home. Learning activities outside the home, usually carried out by homeschoolers N in libraries, rice fields, mosques, and the surrounding environment. While learning homeschooling activities P can be done in the river, library, museum, community, and the surrounding environment.. Homeschoolers ask children to compile a list of questions as a guide to explore information on learning objects. Homeschooling children independently find their own answers to these questions through reading, observing, and processing learning outcomes data. Both homeschoolers are located as facilitators and motivators in children's learning activities. The two homeschoolers then ask the child to make a resume of the learning outcomes to be shared together. Both of homeschoolers carry out learning activities based on children's learning styles. The learning habits of children from homeschooler P is active in moving to practice with direct objects and having a kinesthetic-physical learning style, so that it can be motivated by providing access to physical activities and creative movements, such as: active sports, playing music, dancing, theater, and painting. The first child from homeschooler N has a tendency to learn in a spatial way, so that it requires learning through visuals, colors, and images so that it is motivated by providing drawing and painting facilities with the New Paint Version and Stylus Connect Pen application, video tutorials, diagrams, and preparing visualization games from slime and kokoru. The second child from homeschooler N has a logical-mathematical learning method, so that it requires concrete material as a trial media, such as: assembling cars with used goods and classifying or categorizing legos. Both homeschoolers provide a variety of teaching methods based on established learning goals. Homeschooler P emphasizes problem solving learning methods in children's learning activities, making clippings, and mind mapping after completing academic learning. Homeschooler P also involves children in learning activities with the community. Such learning involves children for group work and role playing. While homeschooler N uses lecture, demonstration, and problem solving methods). Children are also involved in group work making creativity from slime. Both subjects apply expository learning strategies or direct learning. Both homeschoolers as educators deliver teaching material directly to children as students through the process of chalk and talk [12]. The role of the two subjects as the main educator in the education process, designing and planning the educational process, being a facilitator and motivator in learning, determining strategies and methods that are appropriate to the learning objectives, providing opportunities for children as subject learners, and evaluating children's learning outcomes. However, both subjects also involved institute courses for the practice of homeschooling education. Course facilities are provided by both subjects to support the children's 194 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 401 talents and interests. Homeschooler N provides course facilities, such as: archery, swimming, electronics, and writing classes. Children's academic education is given by the homeschooler N. Both homeschoolers balance children's educational needs through three aspects of education, namely attitudinal education, knowledge, and skills. TABLE II. EFFORTS TO CULTIVATE ATTITUDES, KNOWLEDGE, AND SKILLS IN A SINGLE HOMESCHOOLING CHILD Educational Aspects Spiritual Attitude Social Knowledge Skills Homeschooler N Providing obedient exemplary practice of worship, involving children in discussing values and norms, and reading stories that integrate religious education Be a friend to the child so that it is easy to give advice, direct the child to tolerance of the decisions of others, respect the opinions of others, and read fairy tales that integrate social education. Providing religious education, emphasizing literacy in reading, requires children to review eight books a week. Provide crafting, provide New Paint Version and Stylus Connect Pen media, provide robotics course facilities, include children in writing classes, and stimulate children's creativity through video tutorials. Homeschooler P Invite children to worship to church, pray before and after carrying out activities, involve children in religious activities, and invite children to give thanks to God Familiarize children independently in learning, responsible for clearing the learning media, respecting the opinions and beliefs of others, and encouraging children to do work in accordance with their abilities. Carry out learning activities outside the home by utilizing public facilities, participating in social activities and learning with the community. Providing facilities for traditional dance and French language courses, joining the bamboo flute community, bringing in banjo musical instrument experts, providing foreign language animated films. Homeschooler N presents academic and nonacademic material in order to achieve maximum learning outcomes. Homeschooler N carries out the task of educating as expressed by Dewey, that is every learning activity takes place, the subject hones aspects of knowledge, skills, character formation [13]. Homeschooler N hones aspects of children's knowledge by providing material in the curriculum; honing children's skills by presenting non-academic learning according to the children's talents and interests; and providing religious education as an effort to shape good character in children. Whereas P homeschoolers submit material decisions for selfmanagement by children with long-term learning targets, namely the equivalency test. Children learn material that can balance motor and nonmotor, such as ICT, writing poetry, practicing theater, learning foreign languages, learning to listen, swimming, dancing, playing music, painting, and badminton. Child from homeschoolers P as learners plan their activities according to the understanding of learning [14]. The educational process of both subjects takes place in an informal family environment. The main responsibility of the family is to educate children [15]. Both homeschoolers as primary educators direct children to achieve academic learning goals, but also meet the educational needs of talents and interests. Homeschooling accommodates parents in choosing an educational curriculum based on children's interests and needs [16]. Homeschooler N provides about three hours each day for children to explore their talents and interests. While homeschooler P gives freedom to children to explore their talents and interests at any time. Both subjects have implemented learning that is empowering the potential of the child and making children the center of the teaching and learning process [17]. Homeschooling is an alternative education that is considered effective in developing children's potential, so that it has satisfying outputs and outcomes [18]. The output of N homeschoolers is good character. Children from homeschooler N are involved in voluntary work and seventeen competitions in the environment, become reciters at recitals, love to read, are friendly with friends and adults, like to help others, and are obedient in carrying out religious orders. Whereas the output of children from homeschooler P is academic excellence, which is successfully following and passing the Chase Package B equivalency test (equivalent to junior high school) after attending homeschooling education for two years. Generally children in formal schooling take junior high school for three years. Likewise, the graduation from Kejar Paket C (equivalent to high school) was successfully taken by MC for two years which generally children in formal schools took it for three years. This is in line with the opinion of Chang and Gould that homeschooling children have higher academic standards than children in formal schools [19]. 195 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 401 Based on the findings, homeschooling children from two subjects have the outcomes of being able to learn independently and learn from others. the first child of homeschooler N successfully opened a crafting class to make slime with his friends. He also taught and invited friends to pray Dhuhr in congregation. Whereas children from homeschoolers P actively participated in the polyglot community and became the table leader. He is able to teach Thai, French and German to the community members. Now, he also successfully completed his Bachelor's (S1) education at a state university. V. CONCLUSIONS The reasons for the two subjects to decide on homeschooling are the desire to provide education based on children's talents and interests, factors distrust of formal schooling, the desire to provide religious teaching, provide education for children with special needs and health problems, and alternative educational needs that accommodate the potential of students. Homeschooling decisions as alternative learning in both homeschoolers are chosen as a form of fulfillment of children's educational needs based on each child's unique learning style. Alternative learning is driven by factors from within individual children, namely: feeling bored with formal schooling so that they want to try new things, expect learning experiences with real objects, the desire to explore nature, and feel less challenged with practical lesson [19]. Homeschooling is an alternative education for both homeschoolers with the implementation of learning using the curriculum from the government, but managed independently and flexibly based on children's autonomy. Homeschooler expressed satisfaction in implementing homeschooling because it can be fully responsible in designing learning based on the child's potential. other than that parents can control the learning activities of homeschooling children as well as a form of prevention of deviant behavior in children. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] Seto, South Jakarta. Vol 1, No 1, pp. 50-59. February 2016. ISSN 2541-1462. Sumardiono. (2007). Homeschooling A leap for better learning: Lompatan Cara Belajar. Jakarta: Kelompok Gramedia. Suryadi, A. (2006). Equality of Education Implementation and Learning Process. Jakarta: Ministry of National Education. McMillan, J. H. & Schumacher, S. (2003). Research in Education. New Jersey: Pearson. Patton, N. 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