Exploration of Balai Materia Medica Batu: Field-Trip Supporting Biotechnology Learning

Field trips provide an opportunity to learn about life in the real world through exploration activities. This descriptive study aims to describe the process and response of students to the action of field trips to Materia Medica Batu (MMB) to support biotechnology courses. The participants in this study were 97 science students who took part in biotechnology lectures in East Java, Indonesia. The student response question used as an instrument of inquiry. Text form data were analyzed descriptively through 5 rankings, namely (1) data provision, (2) bathing, (3) coding, (4) visualizing, and (5) abstraction using NVivo 12 for window software. The results of data analysis show testimonials that popularly called in succession are joy, memories, meaningful. The main reasons are (1) providing new experiences in making traditional herbal medicines, (2) recognizing medicinal plants that have never taught during college, and (3) directly seeing the process of cultural processes with experts. However, managing time is the most popular obstacle. This study concludes that the field trip to MMB shows the importance of positive feedback to improve the quality of biotechnology learning. Keywords—Biotechnology, field trips, learning