Fatmawati Djafri, lecturer at the Japanese Study Program, Department of Languages, Arts, and Culture Management (DBSMB), Vocational College, UGM successfully got doctorate degree by defending her dissertation entitled “Study in Japan and Investment in Japanese Language Learning: Narratives of Indonesian Learners of Japanese” at the Graduste School of International Culture and Communication Studies (GSICCS), Waseda University Japan, on Friday, January 11th, 2019.“This dissertation was a multidiscipline research which combine Japanese applied education science, sociolinguistics, and international education. This research was motivated by the phenomenon of the increasing interest of Japanese learners in Indonesia to continue their study in Japan, while also doing part-time job there.” said the woman who was born in Ujung Pandang, November 6th 1980.
The increase, she continued, was significantly seen after 2012 with the proliferation of study programs in Japan offered by Japanese language schools, which also supported by changes in the Japanese immigration policy by Japanese Govenrment.
Fatmawati continued, the aim of her dissertation was 2 things: (1) identifying factors contributed to investation made by Japanese language learners, and (2) understanding how the implementation of Japanese language education policies and internal education applied in Japan and Indonesia affected the investment in Japanese Learners.
Analysis used in Fatmawati’s dissertation was theoretical framework of Model of Investment in Language Learning from Ron Darvin and Bonny Norton, combined with Push-Pull Factors which was one of the sociological theories in international migration. Meanwhile, the method used was mixed methods, which combined qualitative research method through narrative inquiry and quantitative research method through cross-sectional survey. Data collection was carried out from the beginning of 2015 until the end of 2017 in Japan an in several Japanese Language Study Program in 4 major universities in Indonesia, including Japanese Study Program of Vocational College UGM.
Fatmawati Djafri completed her dissertation accompanied by the main supervisor, Prof. Masakazu Iino from the Graduate School of International Culture and Communication Studies, Waseda University) and two deputy supervisors Prof. Satoshi Miyazaki from the Graduate School of Japanese Applied Linguistic, Waseda University and Prof. Kazuo Kuroda from the Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies, Waseda University.
“Since the scholarship I got from the Japanese Government (MEXT Scholarship) only 3 year, so since the very beginning I made study plan which became target I need to reach every semester. I also openly discussed this plan with my supervisor and asked him to be willing to support me in achieving these targets. At the end of each semester, I also reported my achievement of these targets to my supervisor. Besides, I tried to take advantage of the opportunity to present at international conferences as a means of discussing with researches from around the world and got valuable input for the improvement of my dissertation,” she conveyed her joy and sorrow in completing her dissertation.
In my opinion, one of the keys to taking and completing doctoral studies was to prepare careful planning before the study began and be discipline to carry out the plans that have been prepared before. “Studying abroad and away from the family was not easy. So many unexpected things happened,” she said.
Fatama gave an example, “Like when I suddenly got the sad news that my father was in critical condition in the hospital and I only had the opportunity for a few hours with him, after took hours to travel from Japan, before he finally passed away. This has been the hardest time for me in taking my doctoral study because he was my biggest motivator in continuing my studies. Yet this was also the biggest motivation for me to finish my doctoral study.
In her written report to DBSMB PR, Fatmawati also gave message to her colleagues at DBSMB who will or currently starting doctoral studies. “Taking doctoral study is a lonely road, where we have to have plan and do many things independently. Therefore, social support from family and friends around us is very helpful. Socializing and maintaining good relations is very helpful to deal with difficult times of completing doctoral studies.”
Asked how she felt when she passed without revision, she said, “It felt relieved and free because the submission period for the final version of my dissertation was only a week from my final exam schedule. I am very grateful because God greatly facilitated all the processes, including when I took the final exam. I am also very grateful for all the support and prayers from my family, co-workers, friends and my best friends. ”
Omedetō, Fatma-sensei!
