The objectives of this research are to find out: (1) the character education values, (2) the inculcation process of the character education values, and (3) the challenges in inculcating the character education values at Polytechnic ATMI Surakarta. This research was conducted using the phenomenological qualitative approach. The data were collected through interview, participative observation, and document analysis. Five educational administrators and four alumni were the respondents of this research. The data analysis was performed by interactive analysis of Miles and Huberman's model. The results of this research are as follows. Firstly, the values inculcated at Polytechnic of ATMI Surakarta character education are based on the Jesuit clergy. Secondly, the inculcation process of character education values at Polytechnic ATMI Surakarta is through micro-context and macro-context. The micro-context includes the integration of each subject, school culture, and self-development activities. The macro-context consists of family, school, and society. Third, the supporting factors and the challenging factors. The supporting elements are the interaction of teaching staff with students, facilities and infrastructure, educators, synergies between the school environment, family, community and industry, and academic and non-academic activities. The challenging factors are time allocation and focus on learning

Character education is something that schools particularly vocational schools should conduct to prepare students to enter work realm. Although the vocational school graduates' opportunity to pursue higher education level is widely opened, many students prefer joining the workforce right after graduating from vocational schools. Graduates' good character is nurtured through a long process and developed over times through a sustainable teaching, for example, learning and practices. In vocational schools, instilling character values can be done by integrating character education into practical learning because more time is allocated for practice (66.7%) than for theoretical learning (33.3%). With such portion, the interaction between teacher/instructor and students occurs more in practical learning. For this reason, instilling good character values would be more effective when conducted in practical learning. The objective of study was to guide the vocational schools to emphasize on the importance of character education to help students prepare for work realm. Development process should be conducted systematically and sustainably and covers a variety of traits such as honesty, discipline, hard work, creativity, and responsibility.

This research aimed to improve learning independence through group counseling service using brainstorming technique in the 8thC graders of SMP N 2 Gondangrejo. The methods of collecting data used were observation, interview, and documentation. The subjects of research were the 8thC graders of SMP N 2 Gondangrejo, consisting of 10 students. The result of early observation showed that students' learning independence was still low. Then, group counseling service was administered using brainstorming technique encompassing four stages: formation, transition, main activity, and concluding in six meetings. The students tended to be silent when the teacher gave them an opportunity of questioning during learning process, some students still made jokes with friends excessively during attending the learning in the class, and some students still cheated when the teacher assigned tasks and during examinations, and some students still made truancy and felt bored in the classroom. After group counseling service with brainstorming technique given to students, it could change the students' independence attitude into the better one. The students seemed to be more active, to learn independently in expressing opinion, to be open, to make decision appropriately, to improve and to develop conception on themselves, others, and their environment. Thus, group counseling service with brainstorming technique plays an important role in helping students improve their learning independence.

National Integration covers the arrangement of culture, territory, power, value and behaviour. Basically, the integration process is a horizontal change for the view of local to national or even international people and vertical change of elite group establishment having power legitimation. Integration process in Indonesia experiences up and downs and it will not enable to satisfy any and all related elements. It is started by national revival to establish the independent country, to find the fit and proper governance, to build a country to be strong in the economy field and then find the independence in liberal democracy nature. National integration is processed in accordance with the history development.

Learning material is a medium of learning source which stimulates students to learn something new. This study aimed at analyzing the effectiveness of mathematics learning materials based on Contextual Teaching and Learning. The research was a comparative study with pretest posttest only design. The research conducted at SMP Negeri 2 Gondang, Bojonegoro, East Java, Indonesia, The effectiveness of mathematic learning materials based on contextual teaching and learning was analyzed by comparing students’ achievement of mathematic. Data collected by mathematic test before and after implementing the learning materials. Data analyzed by using paired t test. The result of the study showed the score mean of pretest was 63.54, and score of posttest was 75.89. Paired t test of statistical test showed the significance level 0, 000 < 0.05. It means that Mathematic learning Material based contextual teaching learning was effective to increase students’ achievement.