Analysis of Prospective Teacher Teaching Modules Based on the Understanding by Design Approach

Abstrak

This research is motivated by the low quality of learning. Meanwhile, the quality of learning heavily depends on the quality of lesson planning or the quality of teaching modules designed by teachers. This study aims to describe the extent to which teaching modules designed by prospective teachers align with the Understanding by Design (UbD) approach. The use of the Understanding by Design (UbD) approach in designing teaching modules has a significant impact on the quality of learning. According to Wiggins & McTighe (2005), UbD emphasizes designing learning that focuses on learning outcomes, starting with setting clear learning objectives, determining evidence of achievement, and designing meaningful learning experiences. Learning objectives must meet the ABCD criteria (Audience, Behavior, Condition, Degree) and SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timebound) to ensure clarity and measurability (Anggreaena et al., 2022). Learning assessments, which include assessment of learning, assessment for learning, and assessment as learning, play a crucial role in measuring students' understanding holistically (Anisah, 2022). The learning steps designed with the WHERE TO elements (Where is it going and why, Hook, Equip, Rethink, Evaluate, Tailored, Organized) help create relevant learning experiences (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). The alignment between learning objectives, assessments, and learning steps is key to achieving learning effectiveness. Therefore, the UbD approach requires a deep understanding and consistent application by prospective teachers to ensure that the teaching modules designed can optimally support the achievement of learning objectives. This research uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive method. The subjects of this study are students of the PPG (Professional Teacher Education) program for prospective elementary school (PGSD) teachers, batch 2 of the 2024/2025 academic year at Bung Hatta University. The data collection technique used is observation. The results of the study show that there is a gap in the quality of teaching modules based on the Understanding by Design approach. This is evident from several prospective teachers, particularly in the low group, where 7 individuals showed less alignment with the Understanding by Design approach, 21 individuals in the moderate group showed sufficient alignment, and 5 individuals in the high group showed alignment with the Understanding by Design approach. Therefore, it can be concluded that the teaching modules designed by PPG students, prospective PGSD teachers, are not fully aligned with the Understanding by Design approach. This misalignment is often found in the design of learning assessments and learning steps.