MODEL ACTIVITY OF ERGONOMICS - BASED FIELD WORK (APeLErg), COMPARED WITH THE CONVENTIONAL ONE (APeL), IMPROVES PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES, DECREASES FATIGUE, AND INCREASES PERFORMANCE OF THE STUDENTS OF FMIPA UNIMA

摘要

Field work activity is conducted as the implementation of the academic curriculum of the Physics Department of FMIPA UNIMA. To implement the curriculum, a model of field work (APeL model) has been made and applied since 2001.However, the APeL model turned out to cause unfavorable risks to the students based on physiological responses and fatigue so that they could not attain the intended performance yet. Therefore, by applying total ergonomics approach (TEA), a new model namely APeLErg has been made. In order to test the capability of the model, compared with APeL model, a research has been conducted with the hypothesis: the APeLErg model, compared with the APeL model, improves physiological responses; decreases fatigue; and increases performance of the students both in low land/hot area and in high land/cool area. This research was done in two steps by employing the design of treatment by subject. The research on the first step was done in hot area (low land) by involving 15 subjects while in the second step it was done in cool area (heigh land) by involving 18 subjects. The results of the research both in step I and step II showed that the activity of APeLErg model could significantly: (1) improve physiological responses of the students (p<0.05); (2) decrease the mean of general fatigue score of the students (p<0.05); (3) increase the speed, constancy, and accuracy of the students (p<0.05); and (4) increase the performance of the students (p<0.05). Based on the research, it can be concluded that the APeLErg model can: improve the physiological responses of the students; decrease the level of fatigue of the students; and increase the performance of the students in doing the field work activity.