The Characteristic and the Tendency of International Level of the Practice of Mathematics Teaching

According to the Indonesian dictionary, Mathematics is the study of numbers, and relationships among a number with others, and the operational procedures used in solving the problem of numbers. There are many ways that we can do to teach mathematics in schools. Each country apply different ways of teaching mathematics to students at school. Other cultures will make others ways in its delivery. It all depends on the needs of  student in the country.

In Indonesia, for learning mathematics in primary schools many teachers implement the thematic learning methods. Thematic learning is integrated learning that uses theme to tie in some subjects  to provide a meaningful experiences to students.

Thematic learning more emphasis on active student involvement in the learning process, so that they can gain direct experience and trained to be able to find their own knowledge. Through a direct experience, students will understand the concepts that they  learn and relate it to other concepts that have been understood. Thematic learning more emphasis on the application of the concept of learning by doing something.

Therefore, teachers need to repacking or designing learning experiences that will affect the meaningfulness of student learning. Learning experiences that show a link of conceptual elements make the learning process more effective. Conceptual connection between the subjects will form the scheme, so that students will acquire the unity and unanimity knowledge. In addition, the application of thematic learning in primary schools will help students, because according to the present stage of development of students who still see everything as a whole (holistic).

However, many teachers are not applying this method. In theach mathematics they are usually using expository methods  that very tedious. In addition, it is an ineffective way of learning mathematics, because students are not directly involved in the learning process. So that they can not build their own knowledge.

Primary schools in Australia are not much different from the primary schools in Indonesia. In Australia, they are using something like character buildings method, a method of learning that aims to build someones character through a meaningful learning.

In addition, in a learning process, students as the center, not a teacher anymore. Here, students are required to construct their own knowledge through learning experiences they have lived. Here, read be a challenge, with the aim of instilling habits of reading in students daily life.  Because by reading, their insight  will increase and can be used to build their knowledge.

In this school, all of students’ schedule are neatly arranged. There is no activity is missed.  All student activities embedded in the space that provided. All students can read it well and do the activities that have been scheduled. Not only the rules of the schedule of activities here, there are also rules about the use of facilities and infrastructure that used to support the learning process.

The teaching methods that used here not only expository,  but also with the current method of involving students in the learning process and outdoor group discussions. This approach is considered to be very effective in improving students' basic skills in learning, especially in mathematics. A discussion group will enhance students' ability to interact and socialize with other students. In addition, by discussing a mathematics problem, a student will be trained their confidence in expression and respect other people's opinions or decisions. While studying in the open air or outdoor functions to repel students’ boredom learn in the classroom. In addition, the outdoor learning will make students more interactive with their surroundings.

Computers are used for students at this school not only used  for learning but also used to create their own portfolio, which will be printed and then collected on the folder that has been provided. In  this school students are free to do whatever they want, as long as it doesn’t violate the rule or principles of the school (Confidence, Organization, Getting Along, Resilience, and Resistence).