Academic Culture and Students' Scientific Attitudes In Improving The Quality of Higher Education: Research at the Indonesian Institute of Education and Garut University

Dodi Misbah Jalaludin1, Muhibbin Syah2, Asep Nursobah3, Andewi Suhartini4

UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung

[email protected]1, [email protected]2, [email protected]3, [email protected]4

 

Keywords​

Abstract

Academic Culture, Scientific Attitude, Education Quality

Building an academic culture is not an easy thing to do, it requires socialization and supervision of all ongoing academic activities, so that a habit is built among the academic community to obey and comply with the academic rules that have been set. The purpose of this study is the implementation of academic culture and scientific attitudes of students in order to improve the quality of higher education. This research uses a qualitative approach with descriptive methods. This research was conducted at the Indonesian Institute of Education (IPI) Garut and Garut University (UNIGA) as the research locus. By using a qualitative approach with descriptive methods. Data collection techniques using interview techniques, observation, and documentation. The stages of data analysis were carried out by reducing data, displaying data, and drawing conclusions. The results of this study indicate that the academic culture of students at IPI Garut includes a culture of literacy, research, seminars and publications. Then the scientific attitude of IPI Garut students can be seen from classroom discussions. The academic culture of students on the UNIGA campus includes seminars, workshops, publications, etc. The scientific attitude of UNIGA students includes critical thinking, curiosity, discussion, writing and other activities. However, all of these things have not been fully implemented properly.

Corresponding Author: Dodi Misbah Jalaludin

E-mail: [email protected]

 

 

INTRODUCTION

Higher Education (HEI) as an educational unit that organizes higher education is the spearhead of the development of science and technology. Universities play an important role in developing human resources (HR), especially students. The development of knowledge carried out by universities through education and teaching activities is carried out by involving students to provide academic and practical experience. Academic culture and scientific attitudes of students must always be implemented in daily life in universities, so that the academic community can support the implementation of the tridharma of higher education. Then the impact of academic culture and scientific attitudes of students in general will result in changes in the development of attitudes and abilities to think logically, creatively, predictively and imaginatively (Sugiyono, 2018) .

Academic culture is a universal culture, which is owned by everyone who involves themselves in academic activities, one of which is students. Republic of Indonesia Law No. 12 of 2012 concerning Higher Education Article 13 paragraph 3 explains that, "Students have academic freedom by prioritizing reasoning and noble morals and being responsible in accordance with academic culture (Vinet & Zhedanov, 2017) . Academic culture in higher education should be placed within the framework of achieving educational quality which includes aspects of input, process, output and outcomes (Mulyati, 2017) . In higher education, there is also an academic culture which should always be developed and maintained as one of the factors for the success of education in a university. Culture is one of the factors that determines the success of an education. For a university, matters relating to academic culture are something that is principal. In this case, universities must have unique learning guide characteristics.

Curiosity, curiosity, scientific rationality, and scientific open-mindedness are important scientific attitudes in shaping academic engagement and scientific understanding. Their direct and indirect effects on scientific knowledge can be investigated through mediation analysis, with academic engagement acting as a possible mediator (Cabahug et al., 2024) .

In fact, academic culture is quite worrying. In some cases in higher education, the academic culture that was once realized as a source of scientific study and problem solving as well as a place for students to seek and develop science and technology, now seems to be fading and only a symbol. As a result, academic culture such as discussions, seminars, reading and writing scientific papers is no longer an exciting trend, the use of the internet in the campus environment is also widely absorbed towards entertainment and the use of social media.

Based on the author's observations at the University of Garut (UNIGA) as a campus that always wants to improve its quality, always trying to organize its institutions as organizers of the tridharma of higher education, the problem of academic culture is a problem that requires problem solving, where the culture of literacy is lacking (Observation, 2021). Likewise, what happened at the Indonesian Institute of Education (IPI) as a higher education institution in Garut City which prioritizes a measurable learning process in terms of student output, learning process and evaluation has a good commitment to implementing a dignified academic culture. The problem of academic culture is a problem in almost all universities in Indonesia that determines whether or not the quality of education is good (Observation, February 21, 2022).

Some research on academic culture has been widely studied, including by M. Agus Nuryatno, with the title �Criticism of Academic Culture in Higher Education�. The results of his research show that education has a very significant role in giving birth and shaping certain individuals. Susanti et al. (2021) which focuses on the influence of academic culture on student engagement and learning outcomes in higher education, this study explores the influence of academic culture on student engagement and learning outcomes in higher education. research Dewi et al. (2020) which focuses on strengthening students' scientific attitudes through project-based learning in higher education, this study focuses on strengthening students' scientific attitudes through project-based learning in higher education.

This research focuses on the implementation of academic culture and scientific attitudes of students in order to improve the quality of higher education, which was conducted in two different universities, namely the Indonesian Institute of Education (IPI) Garut and Garut University (UNIGA). This study used a descriptive qualitative method with an ethnographic approach to explore in depth the academic culture and scientific attitudes of students at the two institutions. The research findings show that there are differences in the academic culture and scientific attitudes of students in the two institutions, where IPI Garut has a culture of literacy, research, seminars, and publications, while UNIGA has a culture of seminars, workshops, and publications. In-depth analysis and discussion related to the implementation of academic culture and scientific attitudes of students, as well as its implications for improving the quality of higher education is a new contribution in understanding the dynamics of academic culture and scientific attitudes of students in two different higher education institutions, and how it can affect the quality of higher education.

Based on this, the problem of academic culture and scientific attitudes of students requires a new breakthrough in order to improve the quality of education. The purpose of this study is the implementation of academic culture and scientific attitudes of students in order to improve the quality of higher education.

 

 

RESEARCH METHODS

This research uses a descriptive method with an ethnographic model, which is one of the research models that is more related to anthropology, which studies cultural events, which presents the life views of the subjects who are the object of research. The reason the author chose a qualitative approach method compared to quantitative is, first, to be able to find and understand the meaning behind the data found. Second, to understand social interactions during the research process. Third, to develop a theory built from the data obtained during the research process. Fourth, to ensure the truth of the data obtained, the process of testing the truth of the data in a qualitative approach can use triangulation techniques (the process of collecting data from various points of view), with the aim of ensuring data certainty.

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Student Academic Culture

Based on the results of observations both at the beginning and during the course of the research, several findings were discovered. The findings that researchers found in IPI Garut students were related to the students' academic culture and scientific attitudes (Observation, on February 21, 2022).

Academic culture is norms of thought, attitudes and behavior that serve as a reference for all higher education academics (Chotimah, Tanzeh, & Siddiq, 2022) . Academic culture aims to form students as academic members who are intellectual, able to be honest and uphold the value of truth, and able to dedicate themselves to humanitarian activities (Sasmita, Widodo, Andyastuti, Dwi Pristiani, & Hadi Wiranata, 2023) . Improving the quality of education in an educational institution is different from improving quality in a company. Improving quality in an educational institution requires academic culture and academic atmosphere, while in a company corporate values are needed. Academic culture cannot grow solely from rules or regulations that are made, but is rooted in scientific norms and values (Silahuddin, 2016) .

Academic culture in the campus environment can be seen in several sectors. But in general, what are most visible are lecture activities or academic activities that require students to read, write and research which is mandatory because it is a requirement of SKS (semester credit units) and MKWU or General Compulsory Courses.

MKWU is a compulsory course for all students regardless of which faculty or department they come from. They have to go through this course and pass it as a requirement when they want to register for the munaqasah trial or thesis trial. Apart from MKWU, there are other subjects that are mandatory for study programs or are only mandatory for specialization concentration. This course also requires them to read, write and conduct research.

Academic culture is defined as academic activities outside academic norms, which are implemented in seminars, discussions and scientific publications. In higher education, academic culture must continue to be fostered and maintained. In fact, the success or failure of education depends on the quality of the academic culture of higher education. Academic culture is a universal culture, which is owned by everyone who involves themselves in academic activities, one of which is students (Nikmah, 2019) .

This is different from community service, at this point students usually do it at a certain time and only do it once during their study period. For example, KKN (Real Work Lecture), internships in certain agencies, and PLP (Introduction to School Field) at the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Science.

Apart from academic activities, academic culture can be seen in activities held by certain institutions. These institutions can take the form of campus institutions or intra-campus organizations and extra-campus organizations whose activities are outside of the academic agenda. For example, discussions or seminars are often held by LPM, LP2M, PSGA, SEMA (University Student Senate) and DEMA (University Student Council) at the university or faculty level. Meanwhile, at the department level, it is usually held by HMJ/HMPS (Department Student Association/Study Program Student Association).

Criticism of academic culture in higher education is an issue that continues to be discussed in Indonesia. From the perspective of Azyumardi Azra, an influential Muslim scholar, there are several important aspects that need to be considered (Aziz et al., 2023) . Nationally, as an integrity index, the academic scores achieved by the average student are still relatively low (Zahara, Haji, & Syukri, 2018) . Students must develop their creativity to more easily solve problems or find new, correct data quickly to support their productivity in academic and non-academic fields (Fatonah et al., 2023) .

Apart from intra-campus organizations, there are also off-campus institutions holding activities that support academic culture including discussions and community service. Examples of institutions that have held discussions are Forkis (social studies study forum), Lobarisasi, as well as extra-campus organizations such as HMI (Islamic Student Association), PMII (Indonesian Islamic Student Movement), and IMM (Muhammadiyah Student Association) and so on.

Discussions can usually utilize existing spaces such as laboratories and classrooms or can usually be held in the faculty lobby. Students from the Faculty of Education and Teacher Training usually hold discussions in the west and east lobbies because that place can accommodate quite a lot of people and is shady. Recently, IPI Garut has created huts and gathering places at several points on campus. The hut can be used as a place for discussions.

This can be seen in the following image:

Figure 1 Academic Cultural Activity

Based on the results of a study of notes and documentation in the field, namely at UNIGA, UNIGA plans to improve the quality of UNIGA's academic culture and scientific attitude. In this case, UNIGA leadership has clear policies and programs by formulating standards for achieving higher education management standards consistently and sustainably, so that the stakeholders obtain satisfaction (Observation, February 21, 2021).

This can be seen from the results of the standard setting documentation intended to encourage UNIGA to improve the academic culture and scientific attitudes of students as follows:

Figure 2 Interview with UNIGA vice chancellor

 

Based on the results of observational studies of records and documentation, in general, the standard planning for improving the quality of higher education is that Garut University has policies and programs in accordance with the vision, mission and goals of higher education as stated in the university's strategic plan, the implementation of which is guided by regulations and The applicable law is Law no. 20 of 2003 concerning the National Education System, Law No. 4 of 2003 concerning the quality of private educational institutions, Permendiknas No. 16 of 2007 concerning academic qualification standards and quality of educational institutions, Permendiknas No. 28 of 2009 concerning vocational competency standards (Observation, February 21, 2021).

To ensure the realization of UNIGA's vision, namely "To become a Garut university that is advanced at the national level and recognized at the international level by 2045", through achieving the targets that have been planned in stages, a "Strategic Plan" (RENSTRA) was formulated which is the "Five Development Plan". Year� and an Operational Plan (RENOP) which contains a �One Year Activity Program�. In "This Strategic Plan is a period of National Standardization of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education in the context of strengthening UNIGA's competitiveness in accordance with the Higher Education Law No. 12 of 2012, UNIGA's planning includes maximizing higher education services which include increasing the internal efficiency of higher education, developing Vocational Programs; Community Academy, expanding access through PJJ and Affirmation for underprivileged students, while in the area of institutional autonomy it is related to mission differentiation and strengthening higher education institutions.

Student Scientific Attitude

In this research, to see the scientific attitudes of IPI Garut students, data was obtained from observation sheets from researchers who acted as observers. To see in detail the scientific attitudes of students during the lecture process and ongoing activities on campus.

Researchers conducted initial observations in 2023 with the aim of seeing problems that occurred based on learning activities. The results of the researcher's initial observations revealed that only a few students were active during the learning process. When given a problem, only a few students can solve the problem given by the lecturer. Based on observations, there are problems that need to be looked at, so this research was conducted to look at Lesson Study learning using observation sheets on science material.

Then during discussions in lectures, it was seen that only a few students were actively discussing while the others were just silent and not commenting, so the discussion was not lively and was monotonous. Then the lecturer took over the discussion of the presentation of the courses presented. This indicated that there was still a lack of students being critical and curious and indicated a lack of literacy.

Therefore, in an effort to improve the quality of education at the Indonesian Institute of Education (IPI) Garut to develop academic culture and scientific attitudes of students, planning and applicable regulations are needed to create a system of governance that is credible, transparent, accountable, responsible and fair, The implementation of civil service refers to the applicable regulations. The Indonesian Education Institute (IPI) has basic guidelines for organizing activities which are used as a reference for planning, developing programs and carrying out functional activities in accordance with the objectives of the higher education institution concerned, which contain the basis used as a reference for developing general regulations, academic regulations and applicable operational procedures. In higher education, the lecturer's code of ethics and student's code of ethics also cannot fail to be improved so that the quality in higher education becomes better.

This can be seen from the documentation of the implementation of academic cultural activities and scientific attitudes of IPI Garut students below:

Figure 3 Scientific Attitudes of IPI Garut Students

Improving the quality of education at Garut University in building an academic culture and scientific attitude at UNIGA is carried out by preparing plans which are outlined in the form of strategic plans and university plans that are adjusted to the vision, mission and goals to be achieved by referring to applicable laws and regulations. However, the plans that have been determined have not yet become guidelines and direction in formulating policies, programs and activities.

Development for each individual is very important. Every individual is required to have scientific literacy which includes scientific knowledge, scientific process skills, and scientific attitudes (Ahsani & Rusilowati, 2022) . Therefore, students must have a positive attitude towards a scientific attitude in order to adopt a scientific attitude (Maison, Kurniawan, & Zain, 2021) . Through a scientific attitude, it can produce students with good characteristics, such as students with superior learning achievements, and improve students' scientific activity achievements. Attitude is a series of reactions to something that is based on a person's conceptual beliefs (Nursiwan & Hanri, 2023) .

Indicators of scientific attitudes that correlate with undergraduate student productivity are respect for data/facts, critical thinking, as well as discovery and creativity. Meanwhile, indicators of scientific attitudes that correlate with the productivity of master's and doctoral students are curiosity, respect for data/facts, critical thinking, discovery and creativity, and perseverance (Fatonah et al., 2023) .

When viewed as a whole, it can be understood that scientific attitudes influence and correlate with the productivity of undergraduate, master's and doctoral students. The scientific attitude around has a significant influence on student productivity. In the academic world, students must develop skills and professionalism from achievement activities, research, writing and other relevant scientific activities.

Implementation of Academic Culture and Student Scientific Attitudes

In building a good academic culture, there are at least three inseparable strands, namely knowledge, strong faith and a submissive heart. This is an inseparable trilogy so that the academic culture that Islam wants to build does not just make people intelligent, but also has the warmth of faith and humility. An academic culture that only sharpens brain intelligence will only give birth to robots that do not have empathy for others. On the other hand, an academic culture that places too much emphasis on building faith by ignoring rationality will give birth to people who fail to face the challenges of the times (Mukhlisin, 2020) .

Scientific attitudes can be considered as a complex of values and norms that are considered binding on scientists (Sandika & Fitrihidajati, 2018) . Based on several factors causing problems, it is necessary to apply a scientific approach in order to improve students' conceptual understanding and scientific attitudes (Zahara et al., 2018) .

The implementation of the academic culture of IPI (Indonesian Education Institute) students in improving the quality of educational institutions refers to the IPI Garut strategic plan. Where in the IPI (Indonesian Institute of Education students) strategic plan, targets/indicators, targets and achievement strategies have been described which are grouped into seven areas, namely: (1) institutional sector, (2) academic sector, (3) student affairs sector, (4) in the field of human resources, (5) the field of infrastructure, (6) the field of finance, and (7) the field of cooperation.

In the institutional sector, IPI (Indonesian Education Institute) Garut carries out improvements through improving governance and institutional capacity towards a quality campus, increasing the relevance and contribution of institutions to community needs, strengthening PTS organs to support better governance of IPI (Indonesian Education Institute) Garut.

In the academic field, IPI (Indonesian Education Institute) Garut implements improvements in the quality of education and teaching services, research and community service, increases the quality of education and teaching, research and community service, increases the quality of student development services, increases student achievement at the regional level , national and international, improving the quality of character building activities and developing soft skills to create and encourage students, including encouraging the creation of an academic culture and student attitudes in various activity programs.

In the field of human resources (HR), IPI (Indonesian Education Institute) Garut carries out increasing the academic and professional competence of lecturers, increasing the competence of education staff in providing services, improving HR management. In the field of Facilities and Infrastructure, the Indonesian Education Institute carries out improvements to academic facilities, academic administration services, student affairs and the campus environment with a conservation perspective, development of ICT-based asset management.

In the financial sector, IPI (Indonesian Education Institute) Garut implements improvements in the quality of financial reports, refines PRGS (Policies, Regulation Guidelines and SOPs ) in the fields of planning, finance and accounting, strengthens funding independence through empowering business development units in the field of cooperation, which increases cooperation with government and private institutions inside and outside the private sector.

To improve the quality of private higher education institutions, UNIGA leaders carry out organizing related to curriculum, extracurricular/personal development, student affairs, educators and education staff, leadership, infrastructure, finance and financing, and information systems. Organizing in curriculum development based on the Competency-based Curriculum (KBK). Competency Based Curriculum (KBK) development is aligned with KKNI which is carried out through the following stages:

1.       First stage, compiling University learning outcomes (University Learning Outcomes). Derived from the university's vision and mission which contains a general profile of graduates as competitive and comparative advantage of the university. University learning outcomes display more soft skills than hard skills that university graduates must have.

2.      Second stage, formulate a profile of study program graduates. The profile formulation is carried out by formulating professional roles and a series of competencies ( learning outcomes) that graduates must have to carry out their roles professionally , accountably and with noble character, having the knowledge, skills, independence and attitude to discover, develop and apply science, technology, and art, which benefits humanity.

3.      Third Stage, Formulation of Graduate Competency Standards. After determining the profile of study program graduates as an educational outcome, the next step is to determine what competencies study program graduates must have as their learning output.

4.      Fourth Stage, Formulation of Study Program Learning Outcomes (PLO). PLO is a complete description of graduate profiles relating to what competencies students must have after graduating from certain study programs at tertiary institutions.

5.      Fifth Stage, Formulation of Course Learning Outcomes (CLO). CLO clearly describes what students will know and what students can do at the end of the course.

6.      Sixth Stage, Finding Key Concepts and Keywords in Course Learning Outcomes.

7.       Seventh Stage, Development of RPKPS (Semester Learning Program and Activity Plan).

 

 

CONCLUSION

The academic culture of students at IPI Garut includes a culture of literacy, research, seminars and publications, but this is not optimal. Then the scientific attitude of IPI Garut students can be seen from discussions in class, but not everything has been implemented. Meanwhile, the academic culture of students on the UNIGA campus has become a habit and has become values and norms that have gone through institutional processes and are present in real form. These include seminars, workshops, publications, etc. The scientific attitudes of UNIGA students include critical thinking, curiosity, discussion, writing and other activities. But all these things have not been fully implemented. Implementation of the academic culture and scientific attitude of IPI Garut students, namely the implementation of capability development programs, such as seminars, workshops and research projects, may also be an integral part of the student's academic experience. This can help them hone their research skills and application of knowledge in practical contexts. Meanwhile, the implementation of UNIGA students' academic culture and scientific attitudes includes respect for diversity of opinion, developing creativity in approaches to academic and research problems and critical thinking from various perspectives and cultural backgrounds, but the implementation is not yet optimal.

 

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