ABSTRACT
This research examines the importance of textbooks to facilitate students in learning Indonesian subjects. The purpose of this research is to develop Indonesian textbooks-based collaborative learning to strengthen character education on vocational education in Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS). The researchers adopted the theory of Research and Development (R & D) proposed by Gall, Gall, & Borg. The sampling technique was a purposive technique, and the research sample was determined by researchers based on the objectives and considerations that each sample represented the population of university students in UNS. In this preliminary study, a needs analysis was carried out to prepare a prototype model of Indonesian textbooks-based collaborative learning to strengthen character education in higher education. To improve a prototype of Indonesian textbooks, peer debriefing was conducted with experts in the field of textbooks, experts in the field of learning methods and character education. The improved result was tested further on a limited but wider basis in UNS. The result shows that university students’ ability to speak Indonesian using Indonesian textbooks-based collaborative learning to strengthen character education at UNS is better than university students who do not use textbooks (using conventional textbooks).
