Learning Cycle

Learning Cycle (Learning Cycle) or in the writing of this abbreviated LC.

Is a model student-centered learning (student centered). LC is a series of stages (phases) are organized in such a way that students can master the competencies that must be achieved in the way of learning with active role.

Initially consist of the LC phases of exploration (exploration), the introduction of the concept (concept introduction), and application of concepts (concept application) (Karplus and Their in Renner et al, 1988). At the exploration stage, students are given the opportunity to utilize the senses as much as possible in their interaction with the environment through activities such as lab work, analyzing the article, discussing the phenomena of nature, observing natural phenomena or social behavior, and others.

These activities are expected to arise from an imbalance in the structure of the mental (cognitive disequilibrium) is marked by the emergence of the questions that lead to the development of high-level reasoning power (high-level reasoning) that begins with words such as why and how (Dasna, 2005, Rahayu, 2005).

The emergence of these questions as well as an indicator of student readiness to pursue the next phase, phase of the introduction of the concept. At this phase is expected that the process toward equilibrium between the concepts that have been owned by the students with new concepts learned through activities that require the power of reason as the source of literature review and discussion. Implementation of LC in accordance with the views kontruktivis learning namely:

1. Students learn actively. Students learn the material significantly by working and thinking. Knowledge is constructed from the experience of students.

2. New information is associated with a scheme that has been owned by students.New information has come from interpretations of individual students

3. Learning orientation is an investigation and discovery that is the problem-solving.(Hudojo, 2001)

At this stage students are familiar with terms associated with the new concepts being studied. In the last phase, namely the application of concepts, students are invited to apply understanding of concepts through activities such as problem solving (solve real problems associated) or perform further experiments.

Application of concepts to enhance understanding of concepts and motivation to learn, because students know the real application of the concepts they are learning.Implementation of LC in learning to place the teacher as a facilitator who manages the ongoing phases of the start of planning (especially the development of learning tools), implementation (especially of the questions the direction and supervision process) until evaluation.

The effectiveness of the implementation of LC is usually measured through the observation process and giving tests. If it turns out the results and the quality of learning is its implementation should be better than the previous cycle in a way to anticipate weaknesses previous cycle, until the results are satisfactory.