CROSS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING EDUCATIONAL ATTITUDE

Cross Cultural Understanding is the subject that learns about the differences culture in
each country. It tells about the custom, culture, behavior, and life from a country such as the
United States that use English as their language.
There are many topics in this subject to increase our knowledge about the culture in
United States. They are introduction, verbal patterns, nonverbal communication, personal
relationships, and family values. Besides that there are also the topics that related with previous
topic. They are educational attitude, work values, time and space pattern, cultural conflict, and
cultural adjustment. In this presentation I will discuss about “Educational Attitude”. In this
presentation there are six point that I will explain.

· Diversity in Education
1. In United States
There is considerable variety in classrooms for each university in the United States. No
two courses are identical. It is caused teaching methods and curricula are diverse. There are
considerable different between undergraduate and graduated courses. In the classroom is
expensive for it atmosphere, private universities may differ from that in community college.
Although more costly, private universities ogled by people capable as private universities
generally have the image of bourgeois and elite. About quality, there may be little difference,
but not too significant. Whereas, community college university which are free and open to
everyone.
2. In Indonesia
Indonesia’s education system has distinctive features, namely the majors since high school are
science and social. And unfortunately, prestige science stream is better than social. But still,
the Indonesian education system does not respect the students themselves because this system.
Students is a wildcard,a novice who has not obtained a job and allocates the skill point. With
their majors, then turn right school students to choose what they like.
Generally, teaching method and curricula in schools or universities are same each other.
Government has been decided teaching method and curricula which have to use by all of
teacher in every school and universities. It usually changes after a year or more than. It is being
used by almost of education system in each college. Although not all of them has same facilities
and situations. Every region has diversity to face each problem especially educational.
· Active Participation
1. In United States
The students in the united states almost dominate all of time in the class. It means The
teacher or professor just being a fasilitator who control the discussion. Another tutors make an
isue and the students respon it with different idea. Usually, before entering the class, the
students prepare their materials first. In preparing, they make a group discussion, look for the
books which is to be the topic, and make a lot of argument and questions by themselves.

2. In Indonesia
Indonesia students always be a passive. They just listening and taking notes while the teacher
explain about the material. It is almost hapenned in all of part Indonesia. When discussion in
the classroom, there are so many student that join to it. But to be the active participant they still
less interest. Almost of them just be good listener. Although the teachers have been give chance
to their student to give questions or comment. But the students do not use the chance. Moreover
if the teacher does not write their name in the paper when they asking or comment. They just
want use the chance if the teacher will give good score to them.
·
The Teacher-Student Relationship
1. In United States
The teachers in America are very fair. Although they have relationship with the
students, it doesn’t mean that the students will have special behaviour. If there is a task, all of
the students have to submit it on time.
Teacher may establish social relationships with students outside of the classroom, but
in the classrooms they maintain the instructor’s role. They have several roles in relation to
students; they may be counselors and friends as well as teachers. Students must realize that
when a teacher’s role changes, they must appropriately adapt their behavior and attitude.
2. In Indonesia
The students who have family relationship with their teachers, sometimes get special attitude.
The teachers prefer to give more attention to them. There is no punishment if that students do
a mistake.
In Indonesia There are many schools or universities in Indonesia. It means, almost of
societies are teachers and students. They usually have same places. But they have different
work. Relationship between them should good. But, some students have bad thing that they do
to their teachers. They do not realize that their parents ask to them in learning knowledge.
Sometimes the students also not obey to teacher’s rule. They only want get good score without
study hard. They dissatisfied if their teachers give bad scores to them.
Teacher and student have to make relationship not only in the class room, but also out of class
room. When in the class teacher will explain about the subject and the student accept it as
knowledge for them. Even out class room the relationship of teachers and students may be like
as friendship. They can be sharing about their experience each other. It can make the relation
will better than just only in the classrooms. But, this matter seldom will see in Indonesian. Both
of them only make a relationship which related about subject and academy in school or
universities.
· Independent Learning
1. In United States
The teacher expects the students to take the initiative and to complete the assignment
with minimal guidance. They will help students who need it, but prefer that their students not
be overly dependent on them. They also have other duties besides teaching. In addition, they
may be obliged to publish articles and books. Therefore the time that a professor can spend
with a student outside of class is limited.
The ideal students are considered to be one who is motivated to learn for the sake of
learning, not the one interested only in getting high grades. Sometimes homework is returned
with brief written comments but without a grade. Even if a grade is not given, the students are
responsible for learning the material assigned.
2. In Indonesia
The education system in Indonesia is too stressed to the theory. Indeed, the school or
universities have laboratories, but not always used. Academically, they are good, but once
ordered to do practice, they are desperate. When their teacher or lecturer give assignment to
them, some students try to done it with cheat to their friends. They often do it by their self.
Whereas their teacher has been ask to them for work it by them without have to cheat or
plagiarizing. But they still have not self-confidence to try it by their self. It means their skill in
learning will not increase. They also less in reading education books. They prefer read novel
or magazines about their idols than read new information about their subject.
The teachers less attention or care to their students in learning independent. They just give
assignment to them and less control if their students cheating with their friends’ assignments.
Some teachers only control what their students has collect their assignment or not. They just
thumb through. Seldom of them who see into millstone. So that is way the quality of people
that job still very wistfully.
The students also less attention to increase their knowledge. They just study and find in their
school or universities. They try to find new things if they were given assignments by their
teacher. It just make them want to get high score without improve their knowledge. Whereas it
was given as one of medium to improve their skill and knowledge in specific subjects.
· The Honor System
1. In United States
Cheating on the test, plagiarizing in written work, and presenting others’ idea as original are
all prohibited in the United state. They are taught to be honest in each aspects. They have to
make an argument or article by their own word. They have been usual to be creative
people.Students who cheat may lose the respect of other students, particularly these who study
for exam and work independently.
2. In Indonesia
Cheating on test and plagiarizing in written work is a behavior that Indonesian students usually
do in their study process. Teachers and lecturers also always warn off do it to their students
every teaching process. Various rules have been making too that related these culture. But, the
applications of it still less. It caused just a few of students that realize about that, almost of
them all the better choose this culture to get good score.
In addition, the “honor system“ is usually something that does not have strictly enforced rules
teaching its students. In Indonesian, it has meaning for each teachers or students.Honor system
is usually made in the first meeting lecturer and students. It make as agree and disagree between
them. But it only obeys by the students just a moment. After many meeting also of them began
to forget and forget it.
· Competition
1. In United States
The students will be cooperative or competitive in the classroom. It means they will compete
to be the best grade with possitive way, such as to be active in class. If one of their friend be
the best, they will give congratulation to him/her. Then they are going to study hard to get the
best one next semester.
2. In Indonesia
The students in the classroom tend to bandwagon. Indonesian students also should be able
cooperative or competitive. But, almost of them just want to graduated earlier than others. They
do not care the quality of their education. Although the real competition in job is not only have
graduated, but also has real competence in their self. However the education in Indonesian has
make this rule, but there are still not has good quality which get good job. It because almost of
people here only want their families can work together. So, the competition in Indonesia is still
not making reality, yet.