Field Report

Interviewee : Ms. Ummy Salmah

Interviewer :

- Anisyafitri
- Washilah Wahdiah Ramadhani Nur

Time and Place : Wednesday, 17 March 2021, Via Zoom

Washilah : ‘’ So, before we begin it would be nice if you could tell us a little bit about
yourself”

Ms. Ummy : ‘’Halo, my name is ummy, actually i’m also alumni of Mathematics department
UNM. I was graduated in 2010 and now I working as traning specialist
SEAMEO in mathematics basicly this is an organization which conducted
training from mathematics teacher so i’m one of the trainer for the training that
we conducted in our organization ”

Wahilah : “it means you’re working in education field. So, did you have any issues in
mathematics education that you has or currently worked with?’’

Ms. Ummy : “For your information. I work with the teacher so we conducted some training
with the teacher and of course by discussing with the teacher like conducted
during our course or during our workshop so we find many people this from the
teacher especially. Teacher face many challenges especially teaching
mathematics in the classroom especially in Indonesia ”

Anisya : “So,How did you deal with it?”

Ms. ummy : “so based our discussion, based our activity. Teacher face many challeges
especially Indonesian teachers, they face many challenges especially teaching
mathematics some of them for example to use technology and how to integrate
the mathematics how to make students understand mathematics and also how to
find a good method to teach mathematics. Based on those problem we try to
motivate the teacher we try to give them some solution for example how to use
technology properly and meaningfully in the classroom and also how to like
using many kinds of method or approaches to teach mathematics and we also
introduce how to integrate the subject and also we try to open the teacher
perspective that teaching mathematics is not only just teaching mathematics
itself but you can try to integrate the mathematics with other subject so students
can relate that mathematics it’s meaningful for my daily life so its really
 important to motivate the teacher to how to integrate the mathematics with other
subject so students can really understand that mathematics it’s meaningful for
thier daily life.”

Washilah : “Thank you. So, one of the problem is the technology problem right? And the
current situation I mean because of this covid-19, it requires schools to do online
learning, and we know that some students have several obstacles in dealing with
this situation, such as they don’t have mobile phone, unstable network, and
others. Of course it has impacts on student understanding, which there are some
students are left behind. Even for several student who always pay attention still
having a problem in understanding the topics. So, I think it makes students who
are supposed to be active become passive instead. And because the teacher can
use technology that well and I think that is the problem with the teacher to
teaching in online learning. What is your opinion about this problem?”

Ms. Ummy : “actually it’s really challenging for the teacher. We also have conducted with
more hundred teacher in Indonesia and one of the problem during covid-19 is
about how to teach students even online or offline approaches how to teach the
student its really difficult for the teacher this is most of the teacher survive about
that so before the covid-19 they face challenges they face difficulties in teaching
mathematics especially to how to creat the great activity/meaningful activity to
students and now during covid-19 situation in more than 1 year we have to face
another challenges maybe more difficult challenges that we have to teach the
student from the offline to online learning. It’s really difficult for us as a
mathematics teacher training institution, we just try to motivate the teacher that
you can find many kinds of methods to teach your students. You have to try to
be more meaningful activity for your student even though you cannot face your
stuents you cannot meet your students or you just meet your students virtualy. So
the most important is how to develop the activity during this situation they have
to be more creative to develop many activity because we as speacilist training
the teacher we also cannot find the best solution for the teacher but the first
things that we have to be more creative you can make the video, you can develop
activity like for example you can make the project for your student maybe
weekly project or month project or they can do the project with their family for
the example so teacher should be more creative to develop the activity during
this situation because not only thinking about how to explain the consep but also
how develop meaningful activity for the students.

Anisya : “so, do you have any suggestions or tips for students who face this problems?”

Ms. Ummy : “You know that our students have different situation have different condition.
For students who live in city with a good facilities maybe is not difficult for
 them but for students who live in like rule area in which facilities, internet
connetion is not good enough for them to support learning activities so for me I
have to meet the student in pandemic situation directly so for students I think we
should motivate student asking the teacher that you have to motivate your
student for face this situation. I think I cannot say that I have tips for student but
it’s back to the teacher again how to motivate the students”

Anisya : “Thank you. I guess to be who you are now, of course you have come a very
long way and I heard that you studied abroad, which country and university? ”

Ms. Ummy : “after graduated from UNM I continue my master degree in Sriwijaya
University so I was one of student of internasional master program in
mathematics education so I basicly learn about realistic mathematics education I
finish my study 2014 and then I got another scholarship so that was scholarship
for that program and 2015 I got another scholarship to continue my study in
Australia in Curtin University. So I study about science mathematics education”

Anisya : “Can you briefly tell us about your journey or your effort until you get the
scholarship?”

Ms. Ummy : “it’s long story if I have tell you about this story. Actually I have two master
degree the first one in 2015 in sriwijaya university after that I continue, actually at
that time i dont have another dream to continue study in Australia so basicly at
that time some of my friend ask me to try another scholarship because I feel from
the first one so my friend ask me to try another scholarship which is Australia
award shoarship and then at the time I try to apply that scholarship and then I got
that scholarship so I continue my study in Australia it was really wonderful
experiences. When I study in Australia I got many experiences especially in
improving my skills my competences my knowledge in mathematics education
its really challenging because learning environment, the situation,the lectures are
very different. How the lectures teach us, how to discuss with friends its really
challenging for me but I learn many things and then it’s not easy journey for study
abroad but I think everyone can do that. So, yeah it’s really wonderful
experience”

Washilah : “So, talk about the journey, I mean of course everybody have their own struggle.
Can you mention your struggle while you study in Australia?”

Ms Ummy : “the first one is language, actually at that time eh even now my English is not
really good. At that time I was not confident about my English but I really fine
that my lectures really motivate me, they always said that do not make the
 language as your variance to study so if you have question if you have to discuss
something don’t be ashame try to tell try to discuss anything ask anything, and
another struggle is while I did any assignment so some of the assignment is really
difficult because itsnot just like making essay or writing anything you want to
write but you have to construct our opinion when we do assignment. I was really
unconfident with assignment but after having comments from the lectures, I’m
trying to motivate myself ‘oh ok whatever the comment from the lectures its
really important to me to improve myself so at that time unconfident its really big
problem for me especially in doing assignment, in working with the other people,
discusstion with my friends but at that time if I need help I always try to
approaches my lectures my friends to help me. For me living in Australia it’s
really interesting, we live with many kinds of people its really different
enviroment so it’s really interesting experience”

Washilah : “If we talk about environment in Australia. Do you have specific different when
you are working in Indonesia between working in Australia. I mean when you
have assignment, did you do your task with you friends in Australia just like your
friend in Indonesia?”

Ms Ummy : “yeah we also discuss. In Australia I also discuss with my friends, some of
assignments are group assignment but the different is when I was in Australia I
found that they’re more open minded even though I think I’m not confident with
talking with them but at that time I found that they really respect me as a person
when I got difficult when I want to say something or to share my thoughts but
they’re really open minded they really respect to me to give me oppurtunities to
share what I want to share with them”

Washilah : “I think it’s really really interesting for me to talk about the study the scholarship
because My father is really support me to go over the study but I have some
doubts because I’m scared because some of my friends go study abroad said that
it’s very hard to study in other country cause its very different between Indonesia
but nevermind I’ll try I mean I will do my best. So, do you have some tips for
applying an interesting cv or resume for the scholarship?”

Ms Ummy : “okay this is interesting question, some people ask me about that actually I
haven’t get experience to share how to write a good resume for the scholarship
but the most important things when you write your motivation letter or the
application for just be yourself just tell the truth of yourself. If you have
achievement just tell about that achievement and as a person you have to know
your purpose when you want to study abroad so not just I want to follow my
friend they said that study in other country its interesting or better study in
Indonesia you just to follow them to study abroad but you have to have your own
 purpose why do you want to study abroad so the purpose it your personal purpose
so what is your goals what do you want to achieve in the future so the most
important things is you have to be honest just give the truth about yourself your
experience your achievement but also ask your self what the purpose what is your
purpose to study abroad and then you can share that in your motivation letter in
your application”

Anisya : “so by the way I heard that you did some research. what is the topic about your
latest research?”

Ms Ummy : “so I’m now conducting a research about stem eduction I’m still working on that
in my institution. So we conducted research about stem education and
computation thinking so we intive some teacher to getting form in our research
about stem so we develop some activity and then the selected teacher will help us
to teach the activity in the classroom and then we observe the research that I’m
conducting now”

Anisya : “What about the future, do you have any special research topics?

Ms Ummy : “so, I now interesting in stem education. So stem education very interesting for
me because you can integrated some subject like mathematics science and also
technology and engeneering design process in teaching those kind of subject so
I’m really interesting in improving my skill improving my knowledge in stem
education and also about computasional thinking this is the new topics for me so I
also learning about that”

Washilah : “it sound very interesting but lets back to your experience when you in
Australia. I mean do you have special routine when you don’t have class or do
you join organization?”

Ms Ummy : “I have some activities with my friends in campus in my university and also with
some of Indonesian student we also have some activity some events in campus
and off campus and also with some of my friends in university I have some
activity. And library almost everyday I went to library. The library its really
comfortable place for study so I’m try to go there whenever I can”

Washilah : “that’s true. I think this is the end with our interview and we are very honor that
we have special opportunity, thank you for sharing your experience, tips,
suggestions, and your opinion I think it will very useful for two of us for our
future especially we are planning to go study abroad after graduated but maybe
we will take ielts class or toefl class and it was really amazing to close with
 amazing person. Maybe we have another chance to sharing more and see you
soon as possible ”
Ms Ummy : “Thank you very much for having me I hope the information useful for you I’m
sorry for any mistake trouble here especially the connection I hope I give you
useful information I hope to talk with you later. Thank you”

Anisya,
Washilah : “ Thank you, kak”