IEEE Paper Template in A4 (V1) 196 This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license. Journal of Science and Education (JSE) Vol. 3, No. 2, 2022, 196-205 DOI: 10.56003/jse.v3i2.174 ISSN: 2745-5351 Soft skill learning device for elementary school students through the learning of physical education in merdeka curriculum Mu’arifin Universitas Negeri Malang, Jl. Semarang No 5, Malang City, East Java Province, Indonesia E-mail: muarifin.fik@um.ac.id Received: 3 October 2022 Accepted: 4 December 2022 Published: 26 December 2022 Abstract: : The purpose of this study was to find out the initial observations about the Soft Skill Needs for Elementary School Students through Learning Physical Education, Sports and Health in the “Merdeka Belajar” Curriculum. Subjects were 8 Physical Education, Sports and Health Teachers who filled out a softskill analysis questionnaire. The results show that Physical Education teachers still experience obstacles and difficulties in compiling and designing learning or teaching modules that emphasize aspects of soft skills. The conclusion is that Physical Education teachers have difficulty and do not know in compiling or making learning tools or what is currently known is teaching modules that emphasize soft skill elements. Keywords: soft skills; physical education; teaching modules. How to cite: Muarifin. (2022). Soft skill learning device for elementary school students through the learning of physical education in merdeka curriculum. Journal of Science and Education (JSE), 3(2): 196-205. https://doi.org/10.56003/jse.v3i2.174 INTRODUCTION The Merdeka Belajar curriculum is a new learning atmosphere in the 21st century now, because this Merdeka Belajar curriculum is considered in line with current educational problems in Indonesia, and this Merdeka Belajar curriculum adapts to the characteristics of today's Indonesian society starting from educational institutions, schools, teaching staff and students. female student now. The Merdeka Belajar curriculum that is echoed now offers several characteristics where students are required in soft skill and character development projects that are in accordance with the Pancasila profile (Jojor & Sihotang, 2022). Because of that, with the demands of the government in this Merdeka Belajar curriculum, it is hoped that it can increase students' potential through learning that improves students' soft skills. In the world of work, soft skills are a factor that is prioritized by many organizations in the future career development of students (Ilias et al. 2012; Robles, 2012). The implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum in Indonesia is oriented towards improving the quality of the child's learning process, the paradigm described in the Merdeka Curriculum is to emphasize the Student Center where learning is focused on students (Mundaryati, 2022). Education is a basic thing or foundation of education in the past which can be used as a guide or reference in education today (Daryono et al. 2021). The implementation of the education system in Indonesia requires its citizens to study for 12 years starting from Elementary School, Junior High School and High School (Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan No 10, 2020) that the national education system is a https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ https://doi.org/10.56003/jse.v3i2.174 https://portal.issn.org/resource/ISSN/2745-5351 mailto:muarifin.fik@um.ac.id https://doi.org/10.56003/jse.v3i2.174 https://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.56003/jse.v3i2.174&domain=pdf&date_stamp=2022-12-29 Muarifin – Soft skill learning device for elementary school students … 197 conscious and planned effort to be able to create a learning atmosphere and learning process so that students can actively develop their potential to have religious spiritual strength, self-control, personality, intelligence, noble character and skills needed for themselves, society, nation and state. Teachers have an important role in the success of education in Indonesia. Teachers are required to have many skills in teaching, to achieve learning objectives. According to Indahyati & Pratama (2016) professional teachers always develop themselves towards novelty starting from their knowledge and depth of expertise, and then professional teachers are diligent in reading and learning about new things. In research conducted by Volante & Fazio (2007) states that in studying the literacy of teachers in Canada the level of understanding and ability of teachers to respond to situations (Self Efficacy) is relatively very low. The teacher is also important in developing his own potential, not only the ability of Hard Skills but the ability of the teacher's Soft Skills also has a positive effect on the teacher's innovation ability, both directly and indirectly (Asbari et al. 2020). “Merdeka Belajar” is a new policy program from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology. This “Merdeka Belajar” is to be able to provide challenges and opportunities for the development of innovation, creativity, capacity, personality, and student needs. The purpose of the independent learning policy is to design student abilities in hard and soft skills of students (Direktorat Pendidikan tinggi kementerian pendidikan dan kebudayaan, 2020). This will make students more prepared and relevant to the needs of the times, as well as preparing competent graduates. To be able to answer this challenge, it is necessary to provide students' abilities through hard and soft skills. Many of our teachers still apply learning in honing their students' hard skills and forgetting the important components in honing soft skills as well. A person's success is not determined by knowledge and skills, but by balancing self-management skills, success is determined only 20% by hard skills and the rest for 80% by soft skills. In research conducted by Rachmawati (2012) that graduates have many deficiencies in how to communicate and adapt from the world of work because soft skills are very low. Developing soft skills is very important because they are non- technical in nature, related to personality, character, and a person's ability to socialize or adapt well in life and in the world of work. Therefore researchers provide solutions to the problems faced by Physical Education teachers so far, in addressing and creating a learning system that places more emphasis on the soft skill level. To make it easier for teachers to carry out learning in accordance with the Minister of Education's decision on "Merdeka Belajar" which prioritizes honing students' abilities in soft skills. So in the research on Increasing Teacher Professionalism in Improving Soft Skills of Elementary School Students Through Physical Education Learning in the "Merdeka Belajar" Curriculum, researchers will develop a product in the form of a module that contains the procedures for learning in schools with the application of soft skills and in the module contains the content. about learning soft skills. 198 Journal of Science and Education (JSE), Vol. 3, No. 2, Special Issue 2022, pp. 196-205 METHOD This study uses a descriptive research method with a qualitative approach (Iwan, 2019) qualitative data that contains the description that has been collected and is in accordance with previous theories and research. The questionnaire here is used to collect data widely by distributing it via the online Google form. From the results of distributing the questionnaires, there were 8 respondents, Physical Education, Sports, and Health Teachers. With descriptive questions and data collection in the form of numbers which will be explained through chart images. Because using qualitative and quantitative approaches will get and understand existing phenomena to be used to collect facts in the field that are needed in the research focus (Pertiwi et al. 2019). The subjects in this study were Physical Education teachers and distributing online questionnaires by random sampling. Anyone who could fill in the notes selected was Elementary School Physical Education Teachers (Emzir, 2015). The data analysis technique here is carried out in a circular manner with several process stages, each stage consisting of description, reduction and selection (Harahap, 2020). Data collection methods, instruments, and objectives of each stage of the needs analysis can be seen in the table below: Table 1. Data Collection Activities Method of collecting data Data Collection Instruments Process Observation Document Collection Observations made by way of literature study through secondary data search Journals, articles, and previous research to strengthen research and to find novelty in previous research Questionnaire Questionnaire Distribute a questionnaire containing 15 questions to be able to find out the answers from respondents when asked about soft skills RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The results of this needs analysis are described in the description. The questionnaire distributed to the Physical Education, Sports, and Health teachers found many answers from various respondents from 8 Elementary School Teachers who differed for each school. Each teacher may have their own experiences in conducting learning. Maybe Physical Education teachers have already done softskill-based learning, but many teachers are not aware of doing this learning. In this study, it analyzes teachers in Malang City so that they serve as research references so that teachers can emphasize soft skill-based learning more optimally. Below is an explanation of the results of the questionnaire that was carried out and answered by the Physical Education, Sports, and Health teachers. https://jse.rezkimedia.org/index.php/jse/index Muarifin – Soft skill learning device for elementary school students … 199 Do you know what are the soft skills of students in learning Physical Education? Figure 1 Respondents' answers in Soft Skill knowledge in Physical Education Learning In this initial question, from eight (8) Physical Education teachers who already know about the concept of soft skills, there are seven people who already know the definitions and concepts of soft skills learning. Meanwhile, there is one person who does not know what the concept of soft skills is. This indicates that the teachers of the 8 respondents already understand and know the concept of what soft skills are. But for soft skills for learning in Physical Education they still don't know, what are the forms in Physical Education learning soft skills, how is motion learning that raises indicators or soft skill concepts. Maybe the teachers have implemented the learning but don't know it is included in the appropriate soft skills. Have you ever heard the term learning model to improve students' soft skills Figure 2. Respondents' answers in knowledge of learning models to improve students' soft skills From the answers of the respondents above, there are several teachers who do not know about learning that can improve students' social skills, why is soft skills for students necessary. In the world of learning it is very important to apply student soft skills, this aims to improve students' ability to solve problems, proficient in self-skills, and be able to manage self-potential (Sattriawan et al., 2020). Soft skills play an important role in the success of learning and student careers. From the research found that in terms of contribution there 200 Journal of Science and Education (JSE), Vol. 3, No. 2, Special Issue 2022, pp. 196-205 were positive results from students' soft skills on student character education (Ratnawati, 2016). Therefore, students' soft skills can be developed through educational and environmental activities (Muqowim, 2012). Have you attended any training/seminar on learning models to improve students' soft skills in Physical Education? Of all the respondents who as respondents said that they had not attended or had never participated in activities such as training or seminars about compiling learning tools that could improve students' soft skills, especially in learning Physical Education, Sports, and Health. With the existence of training activities and seminars, it is expected that teachers can know and be able to understand in designing learning tools according to what will be done. More specifically in training activities that design learning devices based on soft skills which are directed at the realm of physical education, where students carry out movement activities, but within the elements of movement there is material about soft skills that appears. In your opinion, is the learning model for improving soft skills important to apply in learning Physical Education? Figure 3. Respondents' answers in knowledge of learning models to improve important soft skills to be applied in learning Physical Education From the responses answered by the teachers said that learning that improves soft skills is important. Physical education through movement activities can produce holistic changes, both physically, mentally and emotionally as well as improve the character, mind and development of children, because physical education has more opportunities to improve students' soft skills (Nasution, 2018). The influence on soft skills is positive, where the higher the soft skills a person has, the higher the level of readiness of a person (Lisdiantini et al., 2019). Factors that can affect student interest are also influenced by the student's own motivation, therefore it can be classified in this aspect of soft skill learning for students and adjusting student motivation (Heynoek et al. 2020). https://jse.rezkimedia.org/index.php/jse/index Muarifin – Soft skill learning device for elementary school students … 201 Have you ever provided a learning model that is oriented towards improving students' soft skills in learning Physical Education? Figure 4. Respondents' answers whether or not to provide a softskill learning model In the questions asked here, most teachers have never provided a learning model that is oriented towards improving students' soft skills in learning Physical Education, Sports and Health. Maybe teachers have played games that emphasize soft skill activities, but they are not aware that they are included in games that can improve these soft skills. Therefore, a module is needed that can help and provide direction so that during learning or teaching modules it raises issues of increasing or having soft skills, not only written hard skills on motor learning. Have you ever developed learning tools that are oriented towards improving students' soft skills in learning Physical Education? Figure 5. Respondents' answers whether they have ever developed soft skills learning The importance of preparing for learning. Developing learning tools is very important because learning tools provide guidance on what to do in each learning process (Boleng et al. 2018). The picture above explains that there are still many Physical Education teachers who have not prepared learning tools that are oriented towards improving students' soft skills in learning Physical Education (Boleng et al. 2018). 202 Journal of Science and Education (JSE), Vol. 3, No. 2, Special Issue 2022, pp. 196-205 If you ever gave an assignment that was oriented towards soft skills, what kind of assignment would you give? Learning that emphasizes soft skills is something that needs to be done to improve students' skills outside of hard skills mastery, because the world of work places priority on soft skills which are then balanced by hard skills (Prihatiningsih, 2018). From the explanation of the Physical Education teachers, they gave assignments that emphasized soft skills by grouping students to practice the material being taught, for example when basketball material was formed in groups to practice various types of passing. Providing learning using teamwork, honesty, discipline, personality in leading friends, helping each other improve movements, daring to speak or express feelings in learning Physical Education, Sports, and Health Do you have difficulty in developing learning tools based on soft skills? Figure 6. Respondents' answers to difficulties in compiling soft skill learning tools Teachers have difficulty in compiling learning tools that improve soft skills because they do not know the concept and meaning of the soft skills themselves. The reason for this is because there is no socialization or learning tools that are arranged in soft skills learning. Can soft skills affect movement skills in students? Skills that emphasize soft skill aspects greatly affect students' movement skills, because learning models based on soft skill aspects integrated into physical education learning in schools can affect students' movement skills (Indriharta et al. 2016). These soft skills are highly recommended in completing the educational component, in physical education soft skills are very important for graduate students and for continuing their next life after school (Kondur et al. 2022). What are the obstacles faced in providing aspects of soft skills in learning? So far there have been no obstacles. Some teachers do not understand the meaning and application of it. Lack of community, the ability of students' soft skills is different. The community environment lacks insight. Some of the students didn't pay attention. Today's students or students tend to be inclined to their feelings and mindsets, therefore handling student by student is a more important concern than forcing them to do something they don't like or can't. The solution I always give is to change the order of the practices (besides https://jse.rezkimedia.org/index.php/jse/index Muarifin – Soft skill learning device for elementary school students … 203 the order of the practices being changed, the 'child' is given the understanding to pay attention and rearrange their emotions which in the end when they are ready, they will practice as they have noticed (from their friends or teacher) If you are required to do soft skill-based learning, how do you instill soft skills learning in Physical Education in students? Creating a study group selects several children who have mastered the material to be made peer tutors for their friends, carried out in stages based on their life skills. Practice and be communicative, do pre-test and post-test for grouping students. Reinforcement on certain materials. Inviting students to study together, if you don't pay attention, we apply the game method to attract students' attention in learning. In affirmative learning we need to help them manage their emotions, especially for children who lack kinesthetic intelligence. Studying body language and read faces helps to know the emotions and feelings of students before entering core learning. Should students master soft skills? Soft skill abilities play an important role in the success or failure of individual learning. Gru must be able to find ways how to integrate soft skills in their current learning (Mozgalova et al. 2021). Especially for children with special needs, we need to be more motivated so that their internal motivation grows in a positive direction to be able to practice regarding the Physical Education material provided. There is a gap in the learning that the teacher provides in terms of soft skills, which is also recommended for students with disabilities or special needs (Fernandes et al. 2021). To control students with special needs, their soft skills can be adjusted according to the material and always controlled when students do, and assistance when doing soft skills (Zahro et al. 2020). CONCLUSION The conclusions found in what has been done have been summarized have been summarized through the results of the questionnaire, state that learning that emphasizes the soft skills aspect has not yet been developed or disseminated about learning that specifically prioritizes students' soft skills in elementary schools. Basically, students at this age need to form strong characters through learning physical education should bring out the characters of students who are responsible, proficient in speaking, assertive, and able to lead and solve problems for themselves. Therefore, this initial observation is needed to understand how well elementary school teachers understand what the meaning and role of these soft skills are. 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