by
Dewi Widowati
09301244034
Mathematics Education
A. INTRODUCTION
The pattern of learning mathematics in school tend to"text book oriented" and not related to students' daily lives. Way of learning math concepts at an abstractand tend to use the lecture method so that academic concepts is difficult to read by students. Some teachers do not teach by teaching meaningful.
As a result students' motivation to be difficult to be grownand studied patterns of students tend to memorizeand mechanistic. Many students get stuck in routine, lack of learning media, low student motivation, manystudents memorize, students in the learning level of understanding is low (only remember and mention), and generally students do not know the meaning orfunction of the studied applications in everyday life.
The purpose of learning mathematics is that student able to apply knowledge of mathematics ineveryday life and other fields. Mathematics learning activities are expected to make students skillful solve his problems, either in mathematics or other related fields. Mathematics learning activities are also expected to make his reason so that students develop the ability to think critically, logically, and systematically and in the end the student should beable to be objective, honest, and disciplined.
There are many ways to achieve such goals. one of which is to manage learning in a contextual or realistic.Realistic mathematical concepts in line with the need to improve mathematics education in Indonesia is dominated by the question how to improve student’s understanding of mathematics and develop the power of reason.
B. CONTEXTUAL LEARNING OF MATHEMATICS
To adapt to the evolving needs of society and technology, mathematics learning in schools needs to be upgraded. We see and feel that information should be known by human beings every day is so diverse, in terms of both quality and quantity, so it is not possible to select and understand some information without the benefit of a particular method or strategy to get it. Defining learning with contextual approach suggested by experts are extremely diverse, but basically contain the same factors.
Learning with contextual approach (Contextual Teaching and Learning, CTL) is a learning approach that begins with taking, simulate, telling, dialogue, ask questions or discuss the real-world events of everyday life experienced by students, then lifted into the concept to be learned and discussed. Through this approach, allowing the learning process in which students explored the understanding and academic skills in a variety of contexts, inside or outside the classroom, to be able to solve the problems it faces both independently and in groups.
This is in accordance with the proposed Berns and Ericson (2001), which states that learning is a contextual approach to learning concepts that can help teachers connect subject matter with real situations, and motivate students to make connections between knowledge and its application in everyday life in their roles as family members, citizens and workers, thus encouraging their motivation to work hard in implementing the outcomes of learning. Thus contextual learning is a learning system based on the study of cognitive, affective and psychomotor, so teachers have to plan instruction that matches students' developmental stage, whether it's about a group of student learning, facilitate student learning setting, consider the background and diversity of the student's knowledge, and preparing the way-engineering and implementation of assessmen authentic questions, so that learning leads to an increase in overall student intelligence to be able to solve the problems it faces.
Contextual approach to learning is one of the new constructivist approach in teaching mathematics, which first developed in the United States, namely the establishment of the Washington State Consortium for Contextual by the U.S. Department of Education.According to Owens (2001) that in 1997 until the year 2001 held seven major projects that aim to develop, test, and see the effectiveness of teaching mathematics in context.The project involves 11 universities, 18 schools, 85 teachers and 75 professors and teachers who had previously been given briefing contextual learning. Further implementation of this program worked so well for college level and the results are recommended to get out in the implementation. The results for the school, which contained significantly increase student interest in learning, and enhance the full participation of students in the learning process.
Further Northwest Regional Education Laboratories with the same project, reported that the significance of contextual teaching can create learning experiences and improve student academic achievement. Similarly, Owens (2001) stated that teaching in a practical konteksual promising increased interest, interest in learning from the diverse backgrounds of students and increase student participation by encouraging an active part in giving them the opportunity to connect and apply the knowledge they have acquired.
Another opinion about the major components of contextual teaching that according to Johnson (2002), which states that contextual teaching means making connections to find meaning, to do significant work, encouraging students to be active, setting their own learning, working together in groups, emphasizing thinking creatively and critically, the management of the individual, reaching a high standard, and using authentic assessment.
Another opinion about the major components of contextual teaching that according to Johnson (2002), which states that contextual teaching means making connections to find meaning, to do significant work, encouraging students to be active, setting their own learning, working together in groups, emphasizing thinking creatively and critically, the management of the individual, reaching a high standard, and using authentic assessment.
Some elements to consider in contextual learning practices, namely:
1. Activation of existing knowledge (activating knowledge)
2. Acquisition of new knowledge (acquiring knowledge) by learning a whole first, then pay attention to details.
3. Understanding of knowledge (understanding knowledge), namely by arranging
a) The concept of temporary (hypothesis)
b) To share with others in order to receive a response (validisasi) and on the basis of the response
c) the concept was revised and developed.
4. Practice the knowledge and experience (Applying knowledge)
5. Reflection (reflecting knowledge) to knowledge development strategy.
To be more specific about contextual learning, let's look at some of the differences between the contextual approach and traditional approach Depdiknas (2002: 7-9) as follows :
| No. | CTL Approach | Traditional Approach |
| 1 | Students are actively engaged in the learning process. | Students are passive recipients of information. |
| 2 | Learning and linked to real life or simulated problems. | Highly abstract and theoretical learning |
| 3 | Skills developed on the basis of understanding. | Skills developed on the basis of the exercise. |
| 4 | Understanding the formula was developed on the basis of existing schemata in students. | Formula exists outside of the student, which must be explained, is received, memorized, and trained. |
| 5 | Understanding the formula is relatively different from the one with the other students, according to the schemata of students (on going process of development). | The formula is the absolute truth (the same for everyone). There are only two possibilities, namely the understanding that any formula or understanding of the correct formula. |
| 6 | Students use critical thinking skills, be fully engaged in pursuing the process of effective learning, partly responsible for the effective learning process, and bring their schemata into learning. | Students passively receive formula or rule (reading, listening, taking notes, memorizing), without contributing ideas in the learning process. |
| 7 | Respect the student experience is Preferred | Do not pay attention to students' learning experience |
C. CONCLUSION
Based on the above, the conventional approach to mathematics learning that requires Students to memorize the axioms, definitions, theorems, and procedures for using the theorem, it's time to be minimized, and replaced with the strategies and approaches that can lead students to be active, creative, effective, and fun. By implementing the learning contextual approach to improving mathematics education as a deepening critical thinking is considered a strategic material in improving the professional quality of teachers of mathematics.
REFERENCES :
p4tkmatematika.org/downloads/ppp/PPP04_KarMtk.pdf
Negara, Putra. ____. Pendekatan Kontekstual dan Pendekatan Realistik Matematika. (Online) (http://historiografi-bangsa.blogspot.com/2012/01/pendekatan-kontekstual-dan-pendekatan.html, diakses 18 Maret 2012)
