TEACHERS' EFFORTS IN IMPROVING LEARNING ACTIVITIES IN THE THEMATIC LEARNING OF STUDENTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CLASS VII SMPN 05 CITY BENGKULU

The purpose of this study is the teacher's efforts to increase learning activities in thematic learning during the Covid-19 pandemic for grade VII students and the teacher's efforts to overcome inhibiting factors in learning activities in thematic learning during the covid-19 pandemic. This study uses a qualitative research method in the form of a narrative. The source of the research subject is the seventh grade students of SMPN 05 Bengkulu. In data collection, the tools used are observation and interviews. The results of this study are in an effort to increase thematic learning activities in SMPN 05 schools, the following conclusions can be drawn as follows: the teacher's efforts to improve thematic learning during the covid-19 pandemic at SMPN 05 are by teaching a teacher, when a teacher is creative in teaching and explaining learning to students. By implementing and pursuing the success of the learning carried out, it can be used as feedback for subsequent learning in order to minimize the obstacles that occur in the learning process .


INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this study is the teacher's efforts to increase learning activities in thematic learning during the Covid-19 pandemic for grade VII students and the teacher's efforts to overcome inhibiting factors in learning activities in thematic learning during the covid-19 pandemic. This study uses a qualitative research method in the form of a narrative. The source of the research subject is the seventh grade students of SMPN 05 Bengkulu. In data collection, the tools used are observation and interviews. The results of this study are in an effort to increase thematic learning activities in SMPN 05 schools, the following conclusions can be drawn as follows: the teacher's efforts to improve thematic learning during the covid-19 pandemic at SMPN 05 are by teaching a teacher, when a teacher is creative in teaching and explaining learning to students. By implementing and pursuing the success of the learning carried out, it can be used as feedback for subsequent learning in order to minimize the obstacles that occur in the learning process (Rezky, 2020) The teacher tries to guide students so that they can find various potentials. Article 1 (1) explains that teachers are professional educators with the main task of educating, teaching, guiding, directing, training, assessing, and evaluating students in early childhood education through formal education, primary and secondary education. The addition of status as a profession (hopefully not the replacement of the term educator) clearly has economic implications. This is because a profession is a job that is carried out as a main activity to earn a living and which relies on a skill. Therefore, a professional teacher will earn more when compared to an unprofessional teacher (Syarifuddin, 2019) The teacher's role is very heavy in the era of globalization, full of challenges that are not easy to take lightly in interpreting it, teachers are required to be professional and instill values and basic views of life to the younger generation (Cahyaningrum et al., 2017) Talking about education, education has a very dynamic influence in human life since humans begin to form in the mother's womb until they are born into the world, grow and develop, both now and in the future. In addition, education is a means by which humans can develop all the potential that exists within themselves optimally. The potential of the individual itself includes aspects of physical, intellectual, psychological, characteristics, skills and the sociocultural environment in which humans live. Then the core activity in every educational institution is the learning process (Wabdaron & Reba, 2020) The learning process is the core of the educational process. Learning is a process that contains a series of actions of teachers and students on the basis of reciprocal relationships that take place in educational situations to achieve certain goals. Therefore, it appears that there are two subject positions where the teacher acts as the party who teaches as well as the key to the success of the learning process, while students are the party who learns to mature themselves. The relationship between teachers and students must be based on things that are educational in order to achieve goals (Junaedi, 2019) Teachers' efforts in improving student learning activities can be done by paying attention to appropriate, efficient and effective teaching methods or methods, applying appropriate learning models. As so that students can receive, master and develop lesson materials, the teacher must be able to choose the right way that needs to be planned well before starting the learning process. This is because the method or method is one of the efforts that teachers can make to influence student learning activities, which can later improve teaching and learning activities and student learning motivation (Maulita et al., 2015) Expectations from teachers related to online learning are the first hope, after conditions return to normal or the Covid-19 outbreak has ended. The hope is that the efforts made by teachers in increasing student learning activities can really help students understand the subject matter without feeling bored and bored and act actively in the learning process (Anugrahana, 2020) Curriculum development, including Indonesian language, is a logical consequence of the development of life Thematic learning as a new approach is a set of insights and thinking activities in designing learning items aimed at stringing themes, topics as well as understanding and skills acquired by students as a complete and integrated learning . Or in other terms thematic learning is a learning approach that connects, assembles or connects a number of concepts from various subjects that move from a particular theme as the center of attention or develop students' knowledge or skills stimulants. In accordance with the new curriculum, currently learning in SMP began to be directed at the 2013 Curriculum, or more often referred to as thematic learning (Palacio et al., 1967) Thematic Learning combines several lessons in one theme that still has linkages between the subjects. Thematic learning also contains meaningful learning for students Currently, the world of education is facing quite complex problems. The virus attack has an impact on the implementation of learning at all levels of education. Of course, there are not many obstacles at the tertiary level and some secondary schools are used to it, in the efforts of teachers to improve learning activities in thematic learning of students during the Covid-19 pandemic, Class Vll SMP N 05 Bengkulu city. learning in thematic learning of students during the Covid-19 pandemic class VII SMPN 05 Bengkulu city" Researchers will focus their research on : 1. Teachers' efforts to improve learning activities in thematic learning during the covid-19 pandemic for Class VII students of SMPN 05 Bengkulu city, 2. Teachers' efforts in overcoming inhibiting factors in learning activities in thematic learning during the covid-19 pandemic for seventh grade students of SMPN 05 Bengkulu city, 3 Supporting factors for teachers In increasing learning activities in thematic learning during the Covid-19 pandemic, students of class Vll. This study used a qualitative approach.

II. RESEARCH METHODS
The research used in this study is a qualitative approach that is used to find out or describe the reality of the events under study so that it is easier to obtain objective data. mentions that qualitative research methods are used by researchers in the condition of natural objects. According to Moleong, qualitative research is "research that intends to understand phenomena about what is experienced by research subjects such as behavior, perceptions, motivations, actions, etc., holistically, and by means of descriptions in the form of words and language, in a special context. natural and by utilizing various natural methods " (Adhimah, 2020) The method used is an empirical investigation that investigates contemporary phenomena in the context of real life, Case study method is researching a particular case or phenomenon in society which is carried out in depth to study the background, circumstances, interactions that occur. Case studies are carried out on a unified system which can be in the form of programs, activities, events, or a group of individuals that exist in certain circumstances or conditions (Nur'aini, 2020)

Setting and Research Subject
This research was conducted at SMPN 05 Bengkulu city, the practical reasons for choosing the location were also based on several considerations, namely : a) The affordability of the research location by researchers both in terms of energy and time efficiency. b) Social situation, before obtaining formal permission to enter the location, the researcher has held informal communication with the homeroom teacher of class VII and the school principal so that they obtain formal permission. c) The research subjects were students of class VII SMPN 05 Bengkulu city.
Other research subjects were school principals, teachers and researchers themselves. There are 10 students who will be the research subjects.

Data Types and Sources
Types of data, To obtain the necessary data and information in accordance with the objectives of the researcher to collect data relating to the completeness of the data to be studied, two types of data are needed, namely primary and secondary, the data which includes :

Primary Data
Primary data is data that comes from the original or first source. data obtained directly from the source, observed and recorded for the first time, research is directly related to the research concerned (Pratiwi, 2017) The primary data obtained by the researcher are : a) The results of interviews with the principal, about the inhibiting factors and, b) Supporting efforts to increase learning activities in thematic learning during the Covid-19 pandemic at SMPN 05 Bengkulu city. C.) Results of interviews with teaching teachers on thematic learning in Class Vll, d.) About Teacher's Efforts in increasing learning activities in Thematic learning During the Covid-19 pandemic period in junior high school Results of interviews with students on thematic learning in Class VII, About learning activists In thematic learning during the covid-19 pandemic, SMPN 05 Bengkulu city.

Secondary data
Secondary data is a source of data obtained by reading, studying and understanding through other media sourced from data that is not collected by the researcher himself, but data that has been prepared is poured in the research field. For example data from statistical bureaus, magazines, newspapers, information or other publications. Sources of data in the form of humans, namely the Principal, Teachers and Students (Febriansyah, 2017) a.) The source of data is the atmosphere and conditions of the Thematic learning implementation process. b.) Sources of data in the form of documentation, in the form of photos of activities, archives of official documentation related to the existence of the school, both the number of students and the learning system in the school.

Data collection technique
In this study, researchers used three kinds of data collection techniques, namely: 1. Observation This observation is done by observing and taking notes directly on the object of research, namely by asking for views on observing the activities carried out by the teacher in the thematic learning process for Class Vll. At SMPN 05 Bengkulu city. Observations made by the author in this study on the subject Using research guidelines that are arranged as follows : a) Record the general impression of the subject: appearance, clothing, behavior, way of thinking. b) Actions in the teaching and learning process. c) Actions when completing tasks. d) Action during discussion. e) Actions when the presentation is learning. f) Social and environmental places. g) Expressions during the interview.

Interview
In order for the interview to take place well, effectively and efficiently, it is necessary to have good interviewing skills from the researcher (Rahmadi, 2011) The interview is a face-to-face situation between the interviewer and the respondent which is intended to dig up the expected information. The interview used in this study is a semi-structured interview where the implementation is more free when compared to structured interviews. Structured interviews are when researchers or collectors know for sure what information will be obtained (Hakim, 2013) The interview guidelines that have been prepared are as follows: a) Background, environment and learning activities during the Covid-19 pandemic. Grade VII students at SMPN 05 Bengkulu city, b) Thematic learning process was ongoing during the Covid-19 pandemic for Grade Vll students at SMPN 05 Bengkulu city, c) Supporting and inhibiting factors in increasing student learning activities in thematic learning at SMPN 05 Bengkulu city.

Documentation
Understanding documentation in general can be seen from the use of the word in everyday life. For example, in every committee there is almost always a documentation section. Document analysis was carried out to collect data sourced from archives and documents both at SMPN 05 Bengkulu city, which were related to the research. Documentation is collecting data by flowing or taking data from records, documentation, administration. Which is in accordance with the problem under study.

Data analysis technique
The definition of data analysis is "an effort to systematically search and organize notes from observations, interviews, and others to improve the researcher's understanding of the case being studied. In terms of data analysis, researchers use data reduction techniques, defined as the selection process, focusing attention on simplification and transformation of rough data. which emerged from the written records in the Field. In this study, data was obtained through field notes and interviews, then the data were summarized, and selected so that it would provide a clear picture to the author. The presentation of qualitative data is presented in the form of narrative text. In qualitative writing, data presentation can be done in the form of brief descriptions, charts, relationships between categories and the like, but the most frequently used is narrative text and in researchers using narrative text. The presentation of the data is done by grouping the data according to their respective sub-chapters. Data that has been obtained from interviews, from written sources or from library sources (Rijali, 2019)

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Efforts to improve thematic learning during the Covid-19 pandemic
The teacher's efforts in increasing student activity include efforts to activate the students' senses, reason, memory and emotions. This effort requires the teacher to be able to understand the character of each student when learning and based on that understanding the teacher can create learning that is able to encourage students to think and act actively and creatively. As expressed by Mr. Sariso, S.Pd as a teacher who teaches science subjects , he stated that thematic learning for class VII students "I think how to increase active student learning activities depends on the way of teaching, for example, when a teacher explains in class, that's all, the students cannot develop, but if the teacher is active, the understanding is even better. obtained by the students.
Therefore, students are required to be more active when participating in learning in the classroom. The method I use varies depending on the conditions and atmosphere of the students in the class. So the conclusion from you yourself regarding the thematic learning of students during the covid-19 pandemic, I have to teach them in a creative way so that students are interested because during this covid-19 pandemic our activities in teaching and learning are limited to 2-3 hours, so I have to convey as creatively as possible so that students understand and have no difficulty in doing the assignments given by me, I guess that's how it is." In addition, according to him, the effort that must be improved is the efficiency of free time for students who want to ask questions outside of study hours. This is needed to increase student activity in terms of learning.

Supporting and Inhibiting Factors in Improving Thematic Learning Activities During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Factors in thematic learning for class VII with "IPA" material, the formative test scores are unsatisfactory. Therefore, researchers try to improve learning in the hope that student learning outcomes increase. The activities carried out at the planning stage are: 1) Giving apperception and motivation to learn before the lesson begins.
2) Provide opportunities to ask questions if you have difficulty understanding the subject matter, 3) Evaluate and observe learning outcomes. Which in implementing the improvement of learning researchers obtain the results of the learning process are: 1) The level of mastery of the subject matter by students is still low.
2) Students are less active in learning.
3) Students pay less attention to the teacher's explanation of low student evaluation results. This is from the results of observations. In the implementation of the initial improvement students have not met the mastery of learning and also there is no increase in student activity in following lessons. From the results of the observations above, there are also suggestions from colleagues that it is necessary to improve cycle I with focus : 1) Submission of material is not too fast, 2) Efficient use of Whattshap Application media, 3) Provides reinforcement for achievers. The obstacles to this thematic learning are in terms of the limited understanding of students and students where they do not fully pay attention to the subject of learning that is being carried out, and in the learning process students are often not active in question and answer sessions, which makes it very difficult for teachers to know. whether the learning material delivered has been understood by the students themselves.
Besides that, other obstacles are caused by the limited ownership of gadjed by the individual students themselves. Which is where some of them still use their parents' gadjed, and sometimes this problem becomes an obstacle in the teaching process that will be implemented.

IV. CONCLUSION
Based on the results of research on the efforts of teachers in increasing thematic learning activities in SMP N 05 schools, it can be concluded as follows that the teacher's efforts in improving thematic learning during the covid -19 pandemic at SMP N 05 are by teaching a teacher, when a teacher is creative in teaching and Explaining learning to their students, of course, these students do not feel bored or bored in following the learning, of course here the teacher is also required to design lesson plans and thematic learning media that make students play an active role in their learning. And not only teachers who demand creative teaching, but students are also required to play a role and be independent in completing the learning taught by the teacher.
By making this research report, it is able to increase the understanding for researchers of the importance of classroom action research in seeking the success of the learning carried out, and can be used as feedback for subsequent learning. The use of varied or diverse learning media will be effective when accompanied by learning scenarios that are in accordance with the needs of the expected learning objectives