How a Realistic Mathematics Educational Approach Affect Students’ Activities in Primary Schools?

Abstract

The learning and teaching of Mathematics in Aceh, Indonesia has always been teacher-centred, mechanistic and conventionally practiced. This paper reports on how the Indonesian Realistic Mathematics Education (IRME) approach activate students activities in Mathematics classroom. This study observed the students’ Mathematics activities involved in the IRME approach in the classroom. In this IRME approach students were observed three times which takes five weeks during the Mathematics class, based on IRME. This study showed that Mathematics activities for those who were taught using IRME are higher than for those using the conventional approach. The results showed that IRME approach is being practised in Aceh, but not completely. The higher percentage of activities suggests that the Aceh Education Office expands the implementation of IRME in all primary schools so that learning of Mathematics is more effective.