INTEGRATING LEARNING THROUGH CHILDREN GAME: "GALAH ASIN", ONE PLAY, SEVERAL DISCIPLINES

Abstract

Purpose of Study: Indonesia, with it's multi-culture and multi-ethnic, has many varieties of the traditional game for children. However, it is quite rare to find primary teachers adopting those games for students learning. Most primary teachers encounter creativity and professional challenges in embracing traditional games as a student-oriented pedagogy. Therefore, this paper discusses the possible implementation of traditional games in primary learning. Specifically, it focuses on GalahAsin as game-based primary teaching and learning. This research further investigates the integration of various primary subjects into GalahAsin through trials and simulations. Six groups of students of PGSD UniversitasMuhammadiyah Surakarta participated in an in-depth qualitative study that investigated their understanding of GalahAsin, S.W.O.T analysis of the game, and the making processes in implementing it into primary learning.
 Methodology: The research gathered students’ framing and reframing of game’s modification, presentation, simulation and reflection through discussions and class observations. The findings discover the possible model of integrated learning incorporating GalahAsin. The structure of the game enables students to modify it into extensive puzzle-based learning models.
 Results: The findings demonstrate how the integration of GalahAsin into primary teaching has boundless potential to become holistic learning.
 Implications/Applications: In recent years, active, meaningful and fun learning has magnetized researchers to consider it as a subject area of importance in primary education. In this investigation, we also interested in how the pedagogical gap between two fields of education might be addressed so that the content knowledge is able to be aligned with active, meaningful and fun learning through traditional game-based teaching model.