To Uncover Multicultural Psychological Aspects / Phenomena of Mathematics Education

By : Ikfan Febriyana

International Mathematics Educations

Differences the place is influence differences of culture. It makes the multicultural in many aspects, including in mathematics education. The success of teaching-learning process in Mathematics is depends on the methods that used. The methods can be tailored to the condition or local culture of each school. Because of the differences of culture, and method in mathematics education, in this article will try to uncover multicultural psychological phenomena of mathematics education.

Diverse student populations have diverse world views of mathematics. Including, different student’s motivation for learning mathematics. Up to now, we still hear many students who complained that mathematics is seen as a frightening subject, uninteresting, and difficult to do, also not related much to daily needs. One of the teacher’s efforts in increasing the student’s motivation is by making mathematics learning become enjoyable, interesting fro it’s connected to daily needs. By maximizing (optimalizing) the use of some teaching aids and tools for demonstration it is expected to be able to help the process of student’s abstraction, which covers student’s difficulty in learning.

As the specialist researcher in mathematics education, my lecturer Mr. marsigit shared his experiences for uncovering multicultural psychological phenomena of mathematics education. He attended a symposium that was followed by APEC countries members. It was done in Ubon, Thailand on November, 2nd-5th 2011. The symposium had a theme, “innovation on Problem Solving Based Mathematics Textbooks and E-textbooks”.

In there Mr. Marsigit presented his paper with tittle is “Teachers’ Simulation on Developing Problem Solving-Based Mathematics Textbook in Vocational Senior High School Mathematics Teaching in Indonesia”. Next activity was as a observer in “open class”. In open class, Mr. Marsigit as an observer in 1st grade in elementary school. In this class, students learn about how to calculate the sum of 13 dragonfly. The teacher give students a paper that contain colorful picture of 13 dragonfly , Then teacher let the students using any method to calculate the sum of dragonfly. There was student that using method by giving number in every dragonfly. Some of them gave a line and cross line in dragonflies picture and some of them used a beam to give a sign dragonflies that had been calculated. After all students finished the problem, then they presented their method to calculate the sum of dragonfly in front of their friends. It is as one way to increase students ability of speaking and giving opinion.

Mr. marsigit also as a commentator in invited speaking presentation in that event. The invited speakers came from APEC members’ country; they were Prof. Ivan Vyosotsky (Russia) and Prof. Uthith Imprasit (Thailand). From Russia, he presented about theorem of probability in Junior High School, and from Thailand, he presented how modeling as a problem solving. In this event, there are many insights about mathematics education from various experts. Prof. Shizumi Shimizu for Thai participants from Japan presented “In principle, Mathematics activities carried out as problem solving”. The sequence of it by starting with : generating wonder and questions, formulating problems by formalizing them understanding the problems, planning, implementing and reflecting on solution processes. He told that more important of his presentation is “end of a problem solving must be start for next challenge”. And problem solving in mathematics is a start of new mathematics problem that more complex, because of mathematics is continuous Learning process.

Prof. Masami Isoda presented that there are 3 big problems : the challenge of integrating student’s perspectives into teaching practice, the gap between theories / research and practices and the lack of learning theories on teachers and educators. Essentials of design approach by design based on adidactical adaption (conjecturing that factorized by conceptualizing, proving, problem solving, and procedural generating)

From this article, it’s known that there are differences of culture, and method in mathematics education from each country or school. As the candidate of mathematics teacher, we have to choose the best method for teaching That is depends on culture, social, and condition each of country.

Source :

http://apec-lessonstudy.kku.ac.th

http://staff.uny.ac.id/dosen/marsigit-dr-ma

http://powermathematics.blogspot.com

http://ikfanf.blogspot.com