There are many interesting stories from students who have participated in PPL abroad. One of them is from I Gede Wahyu Suwela Antara. Wahyu was interested in joining the Overseas PPL program organized by Undiksha because “he wanted to try a new experience. Regular PPL usually teaches at schools in Bali, while this PPL can provide the opportunity to teach abroad with an education system that is different from Indonesia.” The only male representative from the Faculty of Education who took part in the LN PPL Program felt that many adaptations had to be made, especially looking for a male practice partner because the distance between the men’s and women’s dormitories was separate. However, because he was very different, this 8th-semester student of the PGSD Study Program had the opportunity to convey his impressions and messages at the farewell event.
On September 1, 2019, Wahyu and 10 other students were flown to the Philippines. They landed at Pangasinan State University-Bayambang Campus to practice their teaching skills which is a requirement of the PPL course. Wahyu and his friends were stuttering because this was their first time abroad plus they didn’t have a companion. However, this is also an extraordinary experience because of the different teaching systems. Starting from the language of instruction using English to material that was very different, “so at that time I was teaching at the Laboratory Integrated School-Elementary Bayambang, Pangasinan, I was surprised because the subject matter there was more difficult, even for elementary school grade 6 the material was almost like middle school. class 3. So I need to study again there, before teaching I have to study first. “The same goes for making the RPP,” said Wahyu.
He said that the school there was a full day and the subjects were the same every day, but one topic was discussed in depth, “there one topic is taught for one semester, discussed in depth so that students understand everything, a little different from in Indonesia where they only teach the basics when sat in elementary school then continued in junior high school.” When giving homework, they are prohibited from giving homework on Fridays because Saturday and Sunday are the children’s time with their families. Regarding character education, Wahyu said that there is less emphasis on character, the most important thing is that they can do it, which is different from Indonesia, which prioritizes character. According to him, character cultivation in Indonesia is good, although the results are not yet visible. Wahyu wants the study material in Indonesia to be more focused and in-depth, not just at the basic stage, but also balanced with character education.
After a month abroad, Wahyu and his friends returned to Indonesia on September 30, 2019. After returning from abroad, Wahyu received an offer to teach English lessons. Since then he has become accustomed to teaching using English, although he still teaches informally. If he becomes a teacher in the future, what he wants to implement from his teaching experience abroad is to use English when teaching so that students get used to using international languages ??from an early age.
