Assimilation and Accommodation Processes in Improving Mathematical Creative Thinking with Scaffolding According to Learning Style

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the process of assimilation and accommodation in scaffolding according to learning style. The subjects were 33 first year pre-service primary teacher students from Senior High School and Vocational who were taking the Basic Mathematics Concept course. The research data were taken by questionnaire, test and interview. A qualitative triangulation was applied in this study. The results showed that subjects have different creative thinking abilities seen from the learning style. Two aspects of the ability of creative thinking that still low are flexibility and originality. Subjects with high creative thinking abilities of the assimilation process from the four aspects of creative thinking (fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration) work well. Subjects with medium and low creative thinking abilities in the assimilation process do not work well, they need guidance through scaffolding to link the concepts they have with the given problem and how to solve them. Scaffolding process improved the student concepts so that the accommodation process went well and finally they were able to solve the problem. Nevertheless, the four aspects of creative thinking did not automatically rise well. Guidance was required to produce diverse answers. It took a lot of practice and regular scaffolding.