Bringing Compassion to Mathematics Learning in Elementary School

Abstract

Poor instructional design is alleged to be the cause of the low ability and poor mathematical attitude of students. The preparation of learning design focuses too much on academic intellectual barriers and tends to override psychological-emotional barriers. Without overcoming cognitive and emotional barriers at the same time, a student will not achieve optimal results in learning mathematics. This study aims to analyze the needs of learning mathematics in elementary schools and especially analyze the existence of social emotional barriers in learning mathematics. The results of the learning needs analysis are used as the basis for developing a more comprehensive mathematics learning design. This study uses a qualitative - descriptive method. The study was conducted in 10 elementary schools in East Java involving 30 students and 10 mathematics teachers. The results showed that students who had difficulty in learning mathematics were not always due to the student’s academic capacity, but were also influenced by their ability to focus, struggle, and their involvement in learning. The teachers so far only focus on overcoming academic obstacles and tend to override social emotional barriers in learning mathematics. The purpose of learning mathematics will be achieved when the teacher succeeds in overcoming both intellectual and emotional problems. The implications of the research findings show the urgency to include the value of compassion in mathematics learning, especially at the elementary school. Compassionate mathematics is an idea to collaborate on social emotional learning, joyful learning and realistic education in learning mathematics. Keywords: compassion, elementary school, mathematics learning