volume 4, no. 2, 2019 Volume 4, No. 2, 2019 Available online at: journal.umy.ac.id/index.php/FTL/issue/view/581 1Tiara Kusuma Fitriana received her Bachelor’s Degree in English Language Education Department, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta. Her research interests include teaching media, teaching strategy, and language assessment. 2Ika Wahyuni Lestari A faculty member of the English Language Education Department of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Her research interest is in the areas of teaching speaking, including individual differences, teacher education, and flipped teaching. The Use of Lembar Kerja Siswa as a Learning Medium among Indonesian High School Students 1Tiara Kusuma Fitriana, 2Ika Wahyuni Lestari 1SD IT Permata Hati, Jayapura 2Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta 1tiara991997@gmail.com 2ikawahyuni_11@umy.ac.id DOI: 10.18196/ftl.4242 Abstract One of the learning media used by Indonesian high school students to support their learning is in the form of a student worksheet, commonly called Lembar Kerja Siswa (LKS). This study aims to examine the reasons why Indonesian high school students used LKS as their learning media and the challenges they faced in using LKS both during the teaching and learning process in the classroom and in their independent learning. This research was conducted at one public school in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Four students who used LKS during their English lesson and in their autonomous learning were purposefully selected as the participants of the study. To obtain the data, one-on-one in-depth interviews were administered. The results of the study revealed that the reason for using LKS was to support their learning due to its content, usefulness, handiness, and affordable price. Nonetheless, the participants also found that LKS was challenging to use because of its short explanation, lack of questions, the ambiguity of answers, and poor face validity. At last, suggestions to improve the use of LKS as a learning medium were addressed. Keywords: LKS, reasons for using LKS, challenges of using LKS Journal of Foreign Language Teaching & Learning VOLUME 4, NO. 2, 2019 127 =========================================================================== Introduction Media are needed in the teaching and learning process as they assist students in understanding the material delivered by the teacher. Learning media has many types. According to Purwono, Yutmini, and Anita (2014), the types of learning media are printing technology, audio-visual technology, computer-based technology, and combined technology. The use of learning media can help teachers to deliver material well. Therefore students are able to receive learning materials more effectively. The most often used type of learning media is printing technology, such as books, modules, drawings, and student worksheets. Most schools in Indonesia utilize Lembar Kerja Siswa (LKS) or student worksheets as learning media as regulated by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture Regulation No. 87 of 2013 regarding the development of a comprehensive learning device, including learning implementation plans, teaching materials, learning media, evaluation, and LKS. Hence, this regulation underlies the use of LKS as a learning medium in Indonesian schools. LKS is commonly used by students and teachers in the teaching and learning processes. Teachers use LKS as students can answer various kinds of questions and review what they have learned. By using LKS, it is easier for students to understand the contents of the material. The use of LKS becomes intense when students will face exams because it has a variety of questions, helping students to practice or prepare for their tests. LKS has been adjusted to the current curriculum. Therefore, it is unnecessary for teachers to make their own worksheets. However, the use of LKS faces various problems. Based on a prior interview with an LKS user, it was found that some students like to use LKS because it provides detailed material, lots of practice questions, and can save time. However, some others were not interested in using LKS as they assumed that the contents are monotonous. Furthermore, some teachers only gave assignments without discussing them together, resulting in some students becoming less familiar with the content of the material. Based on the regulation mentioned above, LKS is the media used in most Indonesian schools. Some students like to use LKS as their media for learning, while some others do not. Therefore, this study wants to find out why students in Indonesia choose to use LKS as their Journal of Foreign Language Teaching & Learning VOLUME 4, NO. 2, 2019 128 learning media and the challenges they faced in using it. Lembar Kerja Siswa Arsyad (2005) states that one of the well-known and widely used teaching materials in teaching and learning activities by many Indonesian schools is Lembar Kerja Siswa (LKS). For teachers, the function of LKS is to determine which students progress according to their respective speeds so that the subject matter can be designed in such a way as to meet their needs, both those who are fast and slow in understanding teaching material. Definition of Lembar Kerja Siswa. According to Majid (2008), LKS refers to sheets of paper containing assignments for students. It usually has instructions to work on the problem. It also clearly states the learning objectives to help its users achieve the desired goals. Any subjects can use LKS. Barus, Siagian, and Saragih (2017) explain that LKS is a package sheet containing material that has instructions, allowing students to learn actively. It is more interesting because it has challenges for students in writing a descriptive text. In addition, Prastowo (2015) defines that LKS is a printed teaching material in the form of sheets of paper containing material, summaries, and instructions for the implementation of learning tasks that must be done by students who refer to basic competencies. Thus, it can be concluded that LKS is a set of content materials and assignments for students in the form of sheets of paper to achieve the desired learning outcomes. The function of Lembar Kerja Siswa. According to Vebrianto (1985), the purpose of LKS is to achieve learning goals that have been formulated, namely to streamline the teaching and learning process (as cited in Jumairi, 2015, p.11). Meanwhile, Arsyad (2005) claims that the function of LKS is divided into two, namely for teachers and students. For students, it functions to facilitate their understanding of the subject matter. For the teacher, it functions to guide students in various activities in it. The benefits of using LKS for students are allowing them to be more active, improve their motivation to learn, help them to achieve learning goals and facilitate them in the learning process. According to Wahdah (2016), LKS can be used to evaluate periodic learning outcomes whose status is not formal. Therefore, it can be concluded that the function of the LKS is to streamline the learning process and facilitate students in learning. Other advantages of using LKS are students can previously learn the material to be Journal of Foreign Language Teaching & Learning VOLUME 4, NO. 2, 2019 129 discussed at school, and the teaching and learning process becomes more effective because its learning activities, such as question and answer, discussion and group work, can save time. According to Fatimah (2012), the characteristics of LKS meeting the requirements to achieve learning goals are (1) the material is in accordance with the basic competencies in the syllabus, (2) the submission of material is quite clear, and (3) the language use is good and appropriate (as cited in Wahdah, 2016, p. 7). LKS material is sufficient to cover all aspects of the lessons needed by students. Moreover, the material is able to meet students’ learning needs. However, it is less able to cover the shortcomings of teacher manuals. It provides learning assignments in a directed, integrated, and dynamic way. Students’ way of learning arranged in the LKS facilitates them in the learning process as it can direct students’ learning activities to solve problems. According to Fitriana (2019), the use of LKS has the advantage of making the learning becomes more varied than using a textbook alone. LKS is easy to use. Besides, it can optimize learning and improve students’ interest in learning. For example, by designing it to be more systematic, colorful, and illustrated to attract students’ attention in studying the material in it. The challenge of using Lembar Kerja Siswa. LKS can be used to facilitate students in learning. It plays an essential role in directing students to learn and find concepts through their activities because, with the rapid development and progress of science, it is impossible for a teacher to convey all knowledge to students. However, many of them faced challenges in using it. According to Fitriana (2019), students found a little difficulty in understanding the contents as they are incomplete, and they felt as if it is not in accordance with the school curriculum. In other words, students are worried that their achievement would decrease if they use the LKS due to its incomplete content. Therefore, it should be relevant to the curriculum so that the teaching and learning process can run optimally, and learning achievement can increase. Lismawati (2010) mentions several challenges in using LKS, such as it is unable to present the movement, expose linear material, and unable to present events in sequence. It is difficult to guide students who have difficulty in understanding certain parts. Furthermore, it is also hard to provide feedback for the questions asked because they have many possible answers that sometimes are ambiguous. It tends to Journal of Foreign Language Teaching & Learning VOLUME 4, NO. 2, 2019 130 be used as memorization for students. Some teachers demand students to memorize the material, facts, and figures contained in it to restrict them from using it only as a memorizing tool. Ardhiantari, Fadiawati, and Kadaritna (2015) describe several challenges in using LKS; namely, it is commercial and not in accordance with the order of indicators of competency achievement. Furthermore, it uses an opaque type of paper, which is less colorful, making it seem boring and unattractive. The language used is convoluted and sometimes ambiguous. Hence, it is hard for students to understand the contents. Context of the studies This study was conducted in Indonesia. Based on the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture Regulation No. 87 of 2013 regarding the development of a comprehensive learning device, including learning implementation plans, teaching materials, learning media, evaluation, and LKS, each school is required to use LKS as a learning media. LKS is based on the applicable curriculum, yet if the teachers need additional material, they can add their own material. It is also distributed from elementary to high schools. Having the supply of LKS, then, the schools sell it to students. LKS here is seen as an additional source of knowledge or material, besides textbooks, to help students learn and practice. The results also found that one of the schools in Yogyakarta also used LKS as the learning media. Therefore, as a research school, this study was conducted at that school. Methodology This study aims to explore why Indonesian high school students use LKS as their learning media. This study employed a qualitative method. Cohen, Manion, and Morrison (2011) state that a qualitative study is based on researchers’ interpretation. This study involved four 12th grade students as participants. The four participants were purposefully selected based on their initiative in using LKS outside the class. Prior interviews with some candidates were conducted to find out how they used it outside the teaching and learning process. The participants’ names were changed to Mawar, Nana, Hana, and Dito. The participants used the LKS at home and when they would face the examination. This study was conducted in December 2018. This study utilized interviews to retrieve data and in-depth interviews to obtain detailed data and appropriate Journal of Foreign Language Teaching & Learning VOLUME 4, NO. 2, 2019 131 information. In conducting this study, the researcher used several tools such as a voice recorder to interview the participants, a pen, and a note. There are several steps to retrieve data. First, asking for permission from the school to collect data. Second, looking for participants who meet the criteria. Then, conducting the interviews with participants with a duration of five minutes for each of them. The language used for the interviews was Bahasa Indonesian. Several questions were asked to the participants during the interviews. The first question was why they used LKS. The questions included what constraints they faced in using LKS as the learning media. After collecting the data, the researcher transcribed it. Then, the researcher sent the script to the participants via Whatsapp to check the correctness. The activity is called member checking. Results and Discussion After conducting interviews with four students, several reasons on why they used LKS as the learning media and the challenges they faced in using it were discovered. Reasons for using LKS. The first reason for using LKS found in this study was due to the concise materials it provided. Lala said that the content in the LKS was concise and directly aimed at learning material. Hence, it was easy for students to understand the material. This opinion is in accordance with a study conducted by Adi (2016), discovering that LKS is a practical tool assisting both teachers and students. The term practical refers to the efficient worksheet as it provides material without a long explanation. Thus, it can be concluded that the reason for Indonesian students in using LKS was because of its concise content, making students easier to understand the learning material. Another reason for using LKS is that it is easy to carry. As said by Didi, “bringing an LKS is lighter compared to carrying printed books”. Based on the excerpt, LKS is lighter compared to printed books, which means it is easy to carry. This opinion is in accordance with the research conducted by Lismawati (2010), revealing that worksheets were media easy to carry anywhere. It can be concluded that the LKS is lightweight, making it easier for students to bring them because of the nature of worksheets, containing only sheets of material and questions. The next reason is that LKS can be used to predict the questions that will come out in the examination. Nana said, “LKS can be used to practice questions and Journal of Foreign Language Teaching & Learning VOLUME 4, NO. 2, 2019 132 predict the questions to be tested”. In other words, it can be used to predict what questions will appear in the exam because it has many practice questions, allowing students to learn from them. This opinion is also in accordance with research conducted by Lismawati (2010), stating that using LKS means facilitating students to answer questions about subjects taught so they can understand the material as a whole. In conclusion, the use of LKS containing practice questions could help students to practice and study before the examination. Therefore, students have preparation before facing the examination. The last reason is of using LKS is because of the affordable price. Lala said, “LKS is cheap”. Compared to printed books having quite high prices, LKS is cheaper. This opinion is also in line with the study conducted by Lismawati (2010), stating that the price of LKS was economical. Having an affordable price, students can buy it. Challenges in using LKS. The first challenge of using LKS found in this study was that the material contained was not comprehensive. Didi said that “LKS contains practice questions without any explanation”. Some agreed with Didi by saying, “the material contained in the LKS was unclear that it confused the students”. Due to the short material, some students confused with the purpose of the material. Therefore, the teachers should help them learning and understanding the material by providing more explanation. Caca said, “the students need an additional explanation from the teachers to understand the material in the LKS”. It was found that some teachers rarely explained the material in the LKS. They only gave questions. Sometimes, students summarized the material without discussing it with the teachers, resulting in them not being able to understand the material. Some teachers used LKS as a substitute, namely when they could not attend the class. Therefore, students could not obtain enough knowledge from LKS. In short, the LKS content was incomprehensive. Students sometimes did not understand the purpose of the material. It was also caused by several teachers who did not provide an explanation or discussion when using LKS. These results are in accordance with a study of Lismawati (2010), stating that sometimes the content in the LKS is concise, causing students having difficulty in understanding the material. Therefore, students required assistance from their teachers. The second challenge is related to the ambiguity of questions in the LKS. It Journal of Foreign Language Teaching & Learning VOLUME 4, NO. 2, 2019 133 has less varied types of questions. The ambiguous answer means two overlap answers, causing students being confused to choose which answer is correct. Lala said that “sometimes, finding the correct answers to the questions in the LKS is difficult”. Another participant also stated such a similar opinion. Nana also said that “the questions contained in the LKS are less varied”. Even though by doing the exercise in the LKS, students will get to know various types of questions, the overlapped answers indeed challenge them. These findings are supported by Ardhiantari, Fadiawati, and Kadaritna (2015), asserting that the discussion in LKS was sometimes ambiguous and difficult to understand. The last challenge of using LKS was its lack of face validity. The obstacle faced by the students when using LKS was thin paper and blurred images, causing it difficult for the students to understand the LKS content. Nana said that “the images in the LKS are blurry so it is difficult to understand”. Lala added by saying, “ thin opaque paper makes students less comfortable in reading it”. Students found it difficult to read the pictures because some of them were unclear. Ardhiantari, Fadiawati, and Kadaritna (2015) state that the use of opaque paper and the less attractive color caused students to be less interested and bored in using LKS. Conclusion The purpose of this research is to find out why Indonesian students prefer to use LKS as their learning media and the challenges they faced in using it. There are four reasons underlying the use of LKS and three challenges they experienced in using it. The reasons are the concise contents, the usefulness predicting the types of questions, easy to carry anywhere, and a low price. Meanwhile, the challenges are its short explanation, the ambiguity of questions, and poor face validity. The present study showed that LKS offered an opportunity for students to learn autonomously as it can be additional material. Therefore, it is suggested that teachers should encourage students to use LKS to support their learning. However, this study also revealed some challenges might hamper students in learning from LKS. It is recommended for LKS designers to consider the challenges for further improvement. The LKS designers should improve the face validity and complete the contents. By doing so, students can take benefits from the use of LKS as the source of learning. Journal of Foreign Language Teaching & Learning VOLUME 4, NO. 2, 2019 134 The study was limited in terms of the number of participants as well as the setting. Thus, a generalization of the findings of the study should be made. Despite the limitation, the findings of the present study can give an initial overview of the use of LKS among Indonesian senior high school students. 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