Blended Learning-based Career Information Needs

Article Info ________________ History Articles Received: 13 March 2021 Accepted: 29 June2021 Published: 30 August 2021 ________________


INTRODUCTION
Career guidance is one of guidance services aimed to assist students in deciding career direction based on their character and potential. In this globalization era, there are numerous chances and challenges students will face during career selection and planning. If their career decision is not right, the career will not run was what they have planned. Therefore, career information is needed to give students career understanding and guide their career decision making. Through this service, students can understand how to define their own characteristics and potential, specifically the understanding of the importance of career decision and ability to make plans after making career decisions. According to (Hidayati, 2015), career information service can help students improve career understanding, guidance, and assistance optimally. As a result, they will be able to precisely recognize their own characteristics, talents, interests, aspirations, various strengths, and weaknesses in themselves which later help to determine the chosen career.
Anisah (2015) who conducted an interview regarding the implementation of career information service by Public and Private Vocational High Schools in Demak Regency found that career information is only shared through lecturing method and leaflets or brochures. Similar phenomenon happened in SMA Negeri 1 Sayung Demak also indicates the low implementation of career information service causes students unable to determine their career goals. Besides, the researchers through a survey during a Focused Group Discussion (FGD) of Guidance and Counseling Teacher Forum (MGBK) throughout Public Senior High School in Demak Regency found that limited time allotment is the matter that limits career information service, particularly no designated class hours and limited to face-to-face meeting. These two obstacles surely affect the low implementation of career information service which further hinders students to plan their career well.
The major issue in career information provision is the use of conventional method which highly relies on time allotment. For more, it gets worsen by the current pandemic situation which requires all guidance and counseling services conducted via online. This situation inevitably needs a new method to be applied.
A possible breakthrough that may be possibly made is by providing an online service done in combination (blended) with offline service. It is expected that this method can be a medium to share information or messages optimally (Dwiyogo, 2013). This breakthrough is a realization of a recommendation given by Hidayati (2015) that counselors should be creative in providing career information. Given the previous condition, theories, and previous studies findings, this study strived for more varied and innovative alternatives for the career information service.
The main step to take is to apply a method that can develop students' ability to understand themselves so that they can make decisions and plan career. It is considered since the current service method has not yet been optimal in helping students making decisions and planning career direction, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Regarding the description, this study attempted to describe students' career planning ability in one of Public Senior High School in Demak. It was expected that the findings of this study could contribute some consideration and recommendation for guidance and counseling service in the field of career, including the possibility of providing online format of service.

METHODS
The respondents of this study were 150 students and 10 Guidance and Counseling teachers in SMA N 1 Demak. In details, the number of students covered 49 male students and 101 female students coming from 4 classes in Natural Science Department or MIPA.
In obtaining the data, the researchers used research instruments in form of scale and FDG guidelines. The scale was developed by the researchers and designed to measure students' career planning ability covering three aspects: 1) understanding self-information; 2) understanding the information about family environment; and 3) understanding the information about relevant environment for career planning (college information or jobs). There were 60 statement items in the scale with 4 points career planning scaling, namely (1= very inappropriate, 4= very appropriate). It gained the coefficient of α of 0.83.
The FGD guidelines were used to collect the data of the implementation of career guidance services. It had 20 questions.
In conducting the study, the researchers used survey method in two stages. First, the researchers collected students' career planning data. In this stage, the career planning scale was given in face-to-face meeting to 150 students in one of Public Senior High School in Demak. Second, the researchers collected the data of the implementation of career guidance from counselors directly from FGD activity of MGBK in Demak Regency. All collected data were in form of statements, opinions, thoughts, experiences, and real conditions.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Students' career planning ability is presented in figure 1. Based on the figure, it was known that their ability was mostly in the low category (87%), while the rest was in the medium category (13%). It indicated that there was no single student having high and very high career planning ability. In details, there were 130 students having low category of career planning ability and 20 of them were in the medium category. As mentioned earlier, this ability was measured using three indicators, namely: 1) understanding self-information; 2) understanding the information about family environment; and 3) understanding the information about relevant environment for career planning (college information or jobs). Further information can be seen in the following table 1. Understanding the information about family environment 95 3 Understanding the information about relevant environment for career planning (college information or jobs) 79 Table 1 describes that students' career planning ability was mostly in the low category with the percentage of 87%. The detail of the initial assessment of this low category ability will be further discussed in table 2.  In table 2, it was obvious that the ability of the majority of students was categorized in low category both in the category of class and gender. The first indicator of understanding selfinformation consisted of 93% male students and 71% female students who had low career planning ability. The second indicator of understanding the information about family environment had 96% male students and 95% female students having low career planning ability. Meanwhile, the last indicator of understanding the information about relevant environment for career planning (college information or jobs) was dominated by 80 female students and 76% male students having low category of career planning. Apart from gender, this ability was also examined in terms of class. It appeared that the class XI MIPA 3 became the lowest among other classes with 100% percentage of students having no understanding about family environment.
Given the low ability of students' career planning, there was a need for doing a survey to examine and observe the process of providing career information service at school. Based on the data gained from the FGD activity of MGBK in Demak Regency, it was known that there were several aspects causing the provision of career information service not running well and made students feel confused about making decision and career planning. First, counselors thought they found it difficult to make a service schedule due to the large number of students. Second, there was no allocated hour for Guidance and Counseling teachers to enter the class and give the service so that whenever there is a service, they must make an agreement with various parties concerned. Third, it was found that the teachers still used conventional method which is less innovative and scientific. With regard to the previous description, there should be some innovation in the provision of career guidance service for High School students in Demak Regency.
Harris-bowlsby (Brown: 2013) states that one of roles of technology in career development is to provide alternative collection of information about education and careers. Career information can be used as an important component in career decision making (Patton & McCrindle, 2001). The development of information technology encourages the emergence of various innovative learning models in education. Pelling (2002) mentions that the use of computers or the internet can be useful to help students in career choices. School counselors can take advantage of technology in the field of service and development of school counseling programs to make them better (Backer & Geler: 2003). The implementation of career information service that is done using proper materials, strategies and various methods can significantly improve students' understanding in career planning (Hartinah, et al: 2015). Moreover, findings of (Cahyaningsih: 2018) study reveal that interactive multimedia can increase Junior High School students' career planning ability. One breakthrough that must be made is the provision of an online service that is packaged in combination (blended) with offline or face-to-face services. One alternative solution for career guidance services that can be used as a solution is the blended learning method.

CONCLUSION
Based on the findings, it is known that there are still numerous challenges faced by Guidance and Counseling teachers in providing career guidance service for the students of Public Senior High School in Demak Regency so that the students' career planning ability tends to be low. Thus, variations should be made in the implementation of the service, especially during the current pandemic situation.
Technology-based services, digital media, online or a combination of online and offline are indispensable for the smooth delivery of career guidance services. One recommendation that can be used as a solution for providing career guidance services to students is the use of a blended learning-based career information service method.