Gender bias on the students’ scheme in ratio and proportion solving problems

Abstract

The research aims to describe the gender bias on the student’s schema in ratio and proportion problem solving. The schema means to represent the student’s concepts stored in his or her memory and used for ratio and proportion problem solving. The research was conducted at SMP Muhammadiyah Program Khusus Junior High School in Surakarta, Indonesia. It employed a qualitative approach. The data were collected by interview and students’ written works. The subjects amounted to 2 male and female students with the similar high mathematical ability. The data were analyzed by using an interactive model, including data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and conclusions. The results of the research show that (1) the students’ schema in ratio and proportion problem solving comprised the content schema, the formal schema, and the linguistic schema; (2) the male subject with high mathematical ability (SLT) used the unit rate strategy, the cross product strategy, and the equivalent class strategy in ratio and proportion problem solving; and (3) the female subject with high mathematical ability (SLT) employed the equivalent strategy, the unit rate strategy, and the build up strategy in ratio and proportion problem solving. The different strategies in problem solving indicates varying schema in solving problems related to ratio and proportion.