Persepsi Mahasiswa BIPA Australia terhadap Kegiatan Ekskursi Berkonsep Edu-Tourism ke Laboratorium Sampah Pamansam

Abstract

This study focuses on investigating the perceptions of Australian BIPA students concerning the concept of integrating edu-tourism within an IFL excursion program. Seven Level-3 IFL students of Australia enrolling in the BIPA RUILI In-Country Program in Lombok Indonesia were invited to join the survey. Data collection method was carried out through a questionnaire survey. The survey consisted of 11 perceptional questions that included 6 positive and 5 negative questions. The questions were divided into 2 types: (1) questions regarding the concept of education and (2) questions regarding the concept of tourism integrated in the excursion activities. While the former was related to the socialization on waste reuse and recycle process, the training on making by-products made of plastic waste, the speakers’ use of Bahasa Indonesia during the program, and the instructors’ supervising excellence according to the IFL students; the latter was related to the visit to bio-fuel tank and its by-products i.e. the organic fruits and vegetables, and the visit to the organic flower garden grown by the Pamansam members. Results showed that the majority of respondents had a very positive opinion about intergating both the educational and tourism concepts into the IFL excursion program, 90.5% and 95.7% respectively. On average, 93% respondents think that integrating the concepts of education and tourism into the context of IFL excursion program is very constructive. Thus, it is suggested that integrating education and tourism concepts within IFL context be actively promoted in order to increase foreign students’ motivation to study Bahasa Indonesia as well as to support the national vision of “Endorsing Bahasa Indonesia as International Language by 2045”.