TO UNCOVER MULTICULTURAL PSYCHOLOGICAL PHENOMENA OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATION

By: Yudha Prihadi (10313244026)

Teach mathematics is not easy. Many difficulties are encountered teachers in the teaching and learning process. Not all students can receive math concepts well. Many difficulties are encountered students in learning too. Therefore a teacher must be able to provide creative and interesting teaching. So that the students can motivated to learn mathematics better. The way is to optimize the use of teaching aids in teaching and learning process. It is considered effective in addressing the problem of learning mathematics in schools. The use of teaching aids or props used in an effort to improve the motivation of students in school in learning mathematics.

There are two factors that influence students' motivation in learning mathematics, external factors and internal factors. External factors mean a teacher should be active and creative in improving students' motivation by providing an illustration or teaching aids that support the learning process. While in the internal factors, teachers were behind and let their students to know how to solve problems by their own way, but the teacher also must continue to provide a correction if there is an error.

Learning mathematics in the classroom in group is very effective in reducing boredom and developing student motivation in learning. Here students are given a problem and they have to solve in groups. Learning in groups is expected to be established good communication between students and improve their confidences in the classroom.

In International Symposium 2011 in Thailand demonstrated the  mathematics teaching and learning process with modeling systems. Students are given an illustration of the images used as teaching materials. The illustration is an image of a number of dragonflies in the paper and the students in groups are asked to calculate how many dragonflies that are drawn. This will encourage students to think creatively in solving experiences to their own way. Any way to resolve the problem. Teachers initially only as a companion. Teachers observe the processes that they do. Each student is allowed to use all the tools available to assist them in solving the problem. Teachers continue to stimulate their ability to think and to facilitate them. If that enough, each representative group were asked to present the results of their discussions. How many dragonflies that? How do they find the results?

Teachers must respect each result and the way they found it. Nothing is wrong. All considered correct. After all finished teachers present the results provide an effective means of calculating dragonflies that are in the pictures and the students were asked to recalculate a way that it provides. Of course, using an additional tool. After all students completed recalculate and present it again and each group get the right results. Teachers will provide explanations and evaluations mistakes made by students and provide further explanation. By using that way, every student will feel relaxed and feel less burdened be assigned tasks and increase their motivation to learn.

Experiences in doing math problems can help us in thinking  mathematics. From the experiences, both good and bad, will make a lesson for a student. This is what will affect their way of thinking in solving mathematics problem. Experience provide a stimulus to thinking. A good experience will give effect to think that good anyway. A good experience can hone creative and innovative mindset of a student in solving math problems. A teacher must be able to provide good experiences for students so that students thinking  can develop properly.

Mathematical activities are carried out as problem solving, the sequence are:

-          Generating wonder and question

Mathematics problem must be generating wonder in students to learn it further and arouse a question in students about the problem and stimulate curiousity.

-          Formulating problem by formalizing them (questions)

After  aroused, students will begin to develop formulas relating to the question. What is the right formula? Whether it can be applied in this problem or not? etc.

-          Understanding the problems

After that the students will understanding what the problem are? And they will collate all possibilities.

-          Planning

Then they will make a plan to solve the problem with any way or certain way from one source.

-          Implementing and reflecting

Students will apply all the steps above to solve math problems and then the last he would test it. If an error occurs the students will continue to repeat until correct.

But in teaching mathematics teachers also encounter three big problems, such as:

1.      The challenge of intergrating students perspektiv into teaching.

2.      The gab between theories/ research and practice.

3.      The lack of learning theories on teachers and educators.