Teaching Mathematics Based on Graphic Management in Problem Solving Topics

Problem solving is a very important skill in mathematics that students need to master. These skills require logical thinking, deep understanding, mastery of concepts and making connections with existing knowledge. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of graphic management -based mathematics teaching in problem-solving topics. This study uses a qualitative research approach with a case study design involving one study participant. Participants of the study were randomly selected among year 3 students with a moderate level of Mathematics proficiency. To collect data, graphic management of “Four Corners and A Diamond” and semi -structured interview sessions were conducted. Data collection from graphics management was analyzed descriptively and these interviews were analyzed inductively to obtain specific themes based on the transcripts. Findings of the study show that with this graphic management, students can organize information from questions in the form of appropriate graphics and facilitate their understanding. The implication of this study is that students can solve mathematical problems through the arrangement of information correctly based on the graphic management of "Four Corners and A Diamond". This study can also encourage teachers to use graphic management in helping students to solve non-routine mathematics problems more conceptually.

Teaching mathematics in ‘different tongues’

Language choice in teaching mathematics is a legitimate area of concern. It is noted that tension exists in classrooms where mathematics is taught in a language different from the first language spoken by the learners (Martínez & Dominguez, 2018). It is then a logical supposition to make that if students in mathematics classes are taught and tested in a language that is not their native their scores and proficiency levels may not be a true measure of their abilities, but a reflection of their mastery of the language used as medium of instruction (Haag, Heppt, Stanat, Kuhl & Pant, 2013). Against this contention, this study is conducted to determine the mathematics proficiency and anxiety of students learning mathematics across different local languages. In addition, the study analyzed whether significant differences exist in the investigated variables across gender. The study disclosed interesting results which were discussed herein.

Green STEM to Improve Mathematics Proficiency: ESA Mission Space Lab

The main goal of this study was to improve students’ outcomes and perception in Mathematics. For this, 12 out of 34 voluntary students were involved in an international contest: European Space Agency (ESA) Mission Space Lab. The experience was organized as STEM, under a guided PjBL. Students identified an environmental problem, executed a way to monitor it from the International Space Station (ISS) and interpreted the data received. Students’ final report was awarded by ESA. Additionally, participants increased their performance in their math final exams compared to the control group. Furthermore, the perception of students and their families about the usefulness of mathematics was very positive. The only drawback detected was the increase of workload. Thus, Green STEM, using direct instruction and guide in PjBL, may be a good tool to improve students’ grades and opinion about the importance of mathematics.

TRANSFER EFFECT OF N-BACK TRAINING: MATHEMATICAL IMPLICATIONS IN SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN

Working memory (WM) is the system which is used for short-term storage and where information about cognitive tasks is manipulated. One of the most important characteristics of WM is its limited capacity, which restricts cognitive performance. Despite of this limit in WM capacity, the efficiency of WM can be improved with WM training and this training effect can be transferred to performance on complex tasks, such as mathematical operations. Such training tasks are complex and necessarily include core processes and these measures, therefore, contribute to difficulty to design tasks and interpret the outcomes for specific changes gained from the training. For example, n-back tasks which are used in a wide range of research are based on core training. Since core trainings address the executive functions of WM and enhance the domain-general aspects, increasing performance on domain-general factors may promote both near and far transfer effects of training. In the current study, WM training will be constructed on the basis of the interference framework that characterizes individual differences in WM performance. The aim of this study is to explore individual differences in training and the way transfer effects occur, evaluating gains from Mathematics proficiency. An adaptive version of n-back tasks will be implemented for the proposed study, within WM load and interference lures. The study will be carried out with 40 school-age children between the ages of 9 and 12, and Solomon four group design method will be used to group them. d’ (D-Prime) theory will be conducted in order to obtain detailed comparison between groups as well as interpretation of individual differences in processing of information.

Teaching Students to Create Independent Equations based on Solving Problems by Constructing Equations

Nowadays, the science of mathematics is advancing rapidly. Scientists are working on new examples and issues awaiting a new solution. This article focuses on teaching students to do mathematical problems independently in elementary grades using equations. The result of the study suggest that Each teacher should stimulate students in the classroom, develop children's skills in mathematics, the ability to make equations and inequalities, and solve them independently. It allows them to solve problems independently by creating mathematics proficiency equations in upper grades.

Kemampuan proses matematis siswa Kalimantan Timur dalam menyelesaikan soal matematika model PISA

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan kemampuan proses matematis siswa Kalimantan Timur dalam menyelesaikan soal matematika model PISA (Programme for International Students Assessment). Penelitian ini dilakukan terhadap 300 siswa kelas IX SMP Kalimantan Timur yang belum pernah mewakili Indonesia sebagai sampel PISA bidang Matematika. Siswa tersebut tersebar dari tiga level sekolah (rendah, sedang, tinggi) yang ditentukan berdasarkan hasil Ujian Nasional 2016 pada mata pelajaran matematika. Pengumpulan data menggunakan 16 butir soal matematika model PISA (α = 0,835) yang mencakup tiga proses matematis: formulate, employ dan interpret. Kemampuan siswa dianalisis berdasarkan mean measure logit dan selanjutnya ditransformasi ke skala dan level kemampuan matematika PISA, sehingga dapat dibandingkan dengan rata-rata kemampuan siswa Indonesia dan negara OECD dalam studi PISA. Hasil analisis data menunjukkan bahwa kemampuan siswa Kalimantan Timur berada di bawah rata-rata negara OECD. Namun hasil tersebut lebih baik dibandingkan capaian skor siswa Indonesia yang menjadi sampel pada PISA 2015. Berdasarkan kemampuan dalam proses matematis, kemampuan siswa dari level tinggi ke rendah berturut-turut adalah formulate, employ dan interpret. Selain itu, kemampuan proses formulate siswa Kalimantan Timur dari sekolah kategori tinggi di atas rata-rata negara OECD. East kalimantan students’ mathematical process proficiency in solving PISA-like mathematicsAbstractThis study was aimed to describes East Kalimantan students’ mathematical processes proficiency in solving a PISA-like mathematics test. The study was carried out with 300 East Kalimantan ninth-grade students who haven’t represented Indonesia as Mathematics PISA samples. The students were spread across three school levels (low, medium, high) determined based on the results of the 2016 National Examination in mathematics. Data collection uses 16 items of PISA-like mathematics test (α = 0.835) which includes three mathematical processes: formulate, employ, and interpret. Student proficiency was analyzed based on mean measure logit and subsequently transformed to the scale and level of PISA mathematics proficiency so that it can be compared with the average proficiency of Indonesian students and OECD countries in the PISA study. The results of the data analysis show that the average proficiency of East Kalimantan students is below the average of OECD countries. However, these results are better than the average score of Indonesian students who were sampled at PISA 2015. Based on proficiency in the mathematical process, the proficiency of students from high to low levels consecutively namely: formulate, employ, and interpret. In addition, proficiency in the formulating of East Kalimantan students from high-level schools is above the average of OECD countries.