Students of a program for Teacher Professional Education (PPG) of English Language of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogykarta (UMY) had a teaching practice at Madrasah Muallimaat Muhamamdiyah Yogyakarta. They actively assist a learning and teaching process at the school.

The PPG program of English Language of UMY was established in February 2018 by Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education (Kemenristekdikti). UMY firstly offers the program. 4 of 18 prospective teachers selected by Kemenristekdikti did the teaching practice at the Madrasah Muallimaat Muhamamdiyah Yogyakarta. They were Ariska Maqoshidana, S.Pd., Lisana Mufida, S.Pd., Vita Kur ‘Anna, S.Pd., and Yuliani Puspita Dewi, S.Pd.

There were two programs of the teaching practice, a learning program and a non-learning program. For the non-learning program, the students helped the school out of school hours such as providing English language training for staffs and being facilitators for foreign guests conducting a survey at the school.

A tutor at Madrasah Muallimaat Yogyakrta Dwi Setiyawan, M.Pd.B.I. explained, “The PPG students have a teaching practice, do action research, and assist us to manage several activities at school such as formal, informal, intra and extra activities. They also help us in a staff program and facilitate foreigners visiting this school.”

The foreigners were from Leeds, the United Kingdom. They were the Najib’s as well as members of an Islamic community in the city establishing by the Najib’s. They were Nabeeha Arshad (f), Hamida Akhtar Najib (f), Idris Siddiq (m), and Saifal-I-Islam Arshad (m). They carried out a survey of Muhammadiyah and selected Madrasah Muallimaat Muhamamdiyah Yogyakarta as the survey setting. The survey was conducted from 27 August to 1 September, and engaged PPG students to be interpreters at class when the foreigners taught differences of Indonesian and British culture.

Meanwhile, the PPG program was commenced since July and will end on October 2018. For a month, Ariska Maqoshidana told that she gain a lot of knowledge of being a professional teacher. “The PPG program aims to prepare for a professional teacher. We learn how to manage students, adapt to Mualliamat milieu, and enhance our skills, particularly English skills,” she said.

Ariska added that the program was valuable. “We perceive this government-funded program is beneficial to prepare for qualified professional teachers,” she expressed.