Improving Students’ Critical and Creative Thinking through Realistic Mathematics Education using Geometer’s Sketchpad

Decy Dhayanti,Rahmah Johar,Cut Morina Zubainur

doi:10.23917/jramathedu.v3i1.5618

Abstract

Learning can foster students’ character as well as their understanding. Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) is one of learning approach to foster those competences. In this research, the learningbased RME will be supported by using the Geometer's Sketchpad. This study aims to improve the students’ character through Realistic Mathematics Education using Geometer's Sketchpad on proportion topic and analyze the student's learning achievement . The subjects of this research are the 25 eighth grade students in one of public secondary school in Aceh Tamiang, Aceh. Instruments used in the study are character observation sheets and test to assess students’ learning achievement. The data analysis technique used is descriptive analysis. The result of data analysis shows that the implementation of Realistic Mathematics Education using Geometer's Sketchpad in topic of proportion can improve student's critical and creative thinking. In addition student's learning achievement met the minimal mastery criteria.

Highlights

The 2013 curriculum mandates that the learning of mathematics in the classroom should be student-oriented, close to everyday life, and useful for their daily life (Permendikbud, 2014)
This needs to be done as an effort to improve students' ability to understand, feel and utilize math in everyday life
The average score of each indicator of the student’s creative thinking is 2.3 which is included in the good category

Summary

Introduction

The 2013 curriculum mandates that the learning of mathematics in the classroom should be student-oriented, close to everyday life, and useful for their daily life (Permendikbud, 2014). This needs to be done as an effort to improve students' ability to understand, feel and utilize math in everyday life. Students are given the opportunity to be part of mathematics through learning activities for reinvent the mathematical idea from everyday problems based on their previous knowledge. The closeness between students' experiences with the taught material will make it easier for students to understand math, so that learning becomes meaningful

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Conclusion