Defragmentation of Preservice Teacher’s Thinking Structures in Solving Higher Order Mathematics Problem

Abstract

Demands to have higher order thinking skills is not only aimed for students. A teachers must have that skills first.The problem now is the lack of preservice teacher’s competence in solving mathematics problem with high order thinking skills. This study aims to find out the construction errors and problem solving by preservice teacher when solving problem with high order thinking skills, especially on trigonometry material. In order to repair these errors, a defragmentation process is carries out on their stucture of thought. The qualitative research methods applied to describe thinking structures and the form of defragmentation given. The research data were analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s model of data analysis, namely reducing data, presenting data and making conclutions. The research found that there are three forms of concept’s construction errors and solving problem, they are wrong pseudo, mis-logical construction and hole of construction. Based on the findings of errors, the researcher performs a defragmentation process of thinking structure by providing scaffolding. The form of scaffolding given were giving a recommendation to rechecking, recall existing schemes fo assimilation, and explaining the actual logics.