SURABAYA, JurnalPost.com - Objects that appear clean are not necessarily free from microorganisms. Conversely, the presence of bacteria around us is not always a health threat. Some microorganisms play vital roles in life, while others can cause disease.
This reality shows that the microbial world cannot be fully understood through textbooks alone. Students need to learn how microorganisms live, interact with humans, and influence health in daily life.
Introducing microbiology during school years is a step toward building health literacy. Through proper understanding, students not only learn about types of microorganisms but also grasp the importance of hygiene, infection prevention, and the wise use of medication.
One example of this learning approach was seen in a bacterial staining practice session attended by 50 SMAMDA students at the Faculty of Medicine Laboratory at the University of Muhammadiyah Surabaya (FK UMSURA).
This activity provided students with the opportunity to encounter microorganisms through practical experience in a laboratory setting. This approach also highlights the potential for collaboration between schools and universities to broaden students' understanding of health sciences.
Understanding Microbes as More Than Just Disease-Causers
For a long time, bacteria and microorganisms have often been associated with disease. In reality, not all microbes are harmful to humans. Some actually play essential roles in maintaining environmental balance and supporting biological bodily functions.
In the human digestive system, for example, there are various microorganisms that form part of the gut microbiota. Their presence is linked to digestion, metabolism, and immune system function.
Another example is the bacterium Escherichia coli , which can be found naturally in the human intestine. Most strains of this bacterium do not cause disease under normal conditions. However, certain strains can lead to health issues.
Through such examples, students can understand that the presence of microorganisms should not always be viewed as something dangerous.
Microbiology education can also be linked to issues close to students' lives, such as the habit of washing hands, maintaining food hygiene, consuming safe water, and understanding why antibiotics should not be used indiscriminately.
This knowledge is important because healthy living habits should be formed not just through rules or appeals, but through an understanding of the scientific reasons behind these actions.
When students know how certain microorganisms can spread through contaminated hands or food, they will more easily understand the importance of maintaining hygiene as part of disease prevention efforts.
Laboratories Open New Learning Experiences
Laboratory-based learning offers a different experience compared to activities that take place entirely in the classroom.
Material that was previously only introduced through images, teacher explanations, or textbooks can be understood through scientific observation and demonstration.
Bacterial staining, for instance, helps students learn one of the methods used in microbiology to study the characteristics of microorganisms.
Beyond gaining knowledge, laboratory activities also introduce the importance of precision, proper equipment usage, and adherence to safety procedures.
Such experiences have the potential to foster students' curiosity about science and health. They gain a perspective that medical science is not only about examining patients or treatment, but also involves research and understanding various biological processes.
However, the introduction of microbiology does not always have to be done through practical work requiring specialized facilities.
Schools can collaborate with medical faculties to hold health discussions, safe scientific demonstrations, public lectures, interactive quizzes, or educational visits.
The format of these activities can be adjusted based on the age of the participants, available facilities, and the learning objectives to be achieved.
The Complementary Roles of Schools and Medical Faculties
Collaboration between schools and universities has great potential to strengthen the quality of science education.
Schools play a role in providing foundational knowledge, building study habits, and connecting material to students' lives. Meanwhile, medical faculties possess academic resources and expertise that can enrich the learning process.
Cooperation between the two can help bridge the gap between theory learned in school and the application of science in the professional world.
In the context of the activities at FK UMSURA, the students' experience with microbiology practice serves as an example of how university facilities can be utilized as educational spaces.
Such collaboration can also be developed into more sustainable learning programs.
For example, through educational activities regarding infectious disease prevention, introduction to antibiotic resistance, food safety, and the importance of environmental health.
With this approach, the relationship between schools and universities is not limited to one-off visits but can be directed toward supporting the improvement of students' health literacy.
Medical Students Can Play a Role in Education
In addition to involving lecturers and laboratory staff, microbiology introduction activities can also serve as a learning space for medical students.
Students have the opportunity to participate as educational assistants under the supervision of lecturers or competent professionals.
This involvement can be carried out through the delivery of simple material, demonstrations, or interactive discussions about health.
For school students, the presence of medical students can help make the learning atmosphere more communicative and relatable to their experiences.
Meanwhile, for the medical students, these activities are an opportunity to develop health communication skills.
The ability to explain scientific concepts in simple language is an important skill in the medical world. A healthcare worker is not only expected to understand diseases and treatments but must also be able to convey information clearly to the public.
However, educational activities must still pay attention to the accuracy of the material, participant safety, and the suitability of the methods for the students' level of understanding.
Every laboratory activity must be carried out with adequate supervision and safety procedures.
Educational Success Should Be Measured by Student Understanding
Many educational activities are evaluated based on the number of participants, the smoothness of execution, or the documentation produced.
In fact, the benefits of learning should also be viewed from the changes in the participants' knowledge and understanding after participating in the activity.
In microbiology education, evaluation can be done through simple questions before and after the activity.
For example, do students understand the difference between beneficial microorganisms and those that potentially cause disease? Do they know how to reduce the risk of infection transmission? Or can they explain why antibiotics must be used according to medical instructions?
These questions can help educators determine the extent to which the material has been understood.
Feedback from students and teachers can also serve as a basis for developing more engaging and effective learning methods.
Thus, the success of the activity is not only measured by the experience of visiting the laboratory but also by the knowledge that students can bring back to their school environment and daily lives.
Building a Generation Critical of Health Information
Amidst the flood of health information circulating through the internet and social media, the ability to understand scientific facts is becoming increasingly important.
Students need to be equipped with basic knowledge so they can distinguish health information that has a scientific basis from unproven claims.
The introduction of microbiology can be a gateway to building this capability.
When they understand how microorganisms work, students are expected to be more critical in responding to information regarding diseases, hygiene, antibiotic use, or various products that claim to kill all germs.
The goal of this learning is not to turn every student into a microbiologist or a future doctor. More importantly, it is to form a generation that possesses curiosity, is capable of scientific thinking, and has the awareness to maintain their health.
The bacterial staining practice session attended by SMAMDA students at FK UMSURA shows how learning experiences outside the classroom can introduce health science through a more concrete approach.
This experience also provides a picture that cooperation between schools and medical faculties has broad room for development.
Ultimately, a laboratory is not just a place for research and examination, but can also be an educational tool that brings together student curiosity and scientific knowledge.
Through properly designed collaboration, the microbial world that has been invisible to the naked eye can become part of learning that is close to everyday life.
Because understanding microorganisms is not merely about recognizing bacteria under a microscope, but also about understanding how things that are invisible can have a major influence on human health.
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