Social Justice in and through Mathematics Education: For Improving the Quality of Mathematics Teaching and Internalising Students’ Character Building

Aside from being one of the systematically arranged disciplines, mathematics is also a social construction that views humans as active subjects in building knowledge through interaction with the surrounding environment.　Therefore, in addition to being a medium to enhance students’ understanding of mathematical concepts, mathematics education should also apply the principles of social activity while linking mathematical concepts to social issues.　This research is intended to reform mathematics learning so that it does not merely focus on students’ understanding of mathematical concepts, but also improve their quality through the application of ‘social justice in mathematics education’, while at the same time internalising issues related to social justice through the application of ‘social justice through mathematics education’ concepts.　This study used action research as the research methodology considering its actionbased themes and characteristics, where the teacher performed and simultaneously reflected learning activities.　The findings obtained from this study are: (i) several challenges related to the application of ‘social justice in and through mathematics education’ in mathematics learning area, among others, include the difficulty of changing the teacher’s mindset on how to teach mathematics to students equitably (socially) and how to foster teacher sensitivity in designing mathematics learning that integrated justice issues into mathematics learning; (ii) the implementation of the principle of ‘social justice in and through mathematics education’ in order to improve the quality of mathematics learning is felt to be ineffective because of the teacher’s ability to design and implement mathematics learning involving ‘social justice in mathematics learning’ and ‘social justice through mathematics learning’ remains adequate; and (iii) the application of ‘social justice in and through mathematics education’ has a significant effect on student involvement in mathematics learning.　It is characterized by more active students in learning and more enthusiastic students in learning activities, because the material that is discussed very closely with students’ daily experiences.　 Furthermore, the findings of this study are expected to contribute to the reform of mathematics education, especially those related to productive mathematics learning, the planting of effective mathematical concepts in students, equitable mathematics learning, and simultaneously internalizing social justice issues through the application of concepts, such as building students’ character.　By using the elements in the planning and reflection of lessons, teachers are able to develop a comprehensive guide for improving the quality of their lessons and at the same time internalize students’ character building by using social justice issues

Developing The Attitude And Creativity In Mathematics Education

The structures in a traditionally-organized classroom of mathematics teaching can usually be linked readily with the routine classroom activities of teacher-exposition and teacher-supervised desk work, teacher’s initiation, teacher’s direction and strongly teacher’s expectations of the outcome of student learning. If the teacher wants to develop appropriate attitude and creativities in mathematics teaching learning it needs for him to develop innovation in mathematics teaching. The teacher may face challenge to develop various style of teaching i.e. various and flexible method of teaching, discussion method, problem-based method, various style of classroom interaction, contextual and or realistic mathematics approach. To develop mathematical attitude and creativity in mathematics teaching learning processes, the teacher may understand the nature and have the highly skill of implementing the aspects of the following: mathematics teaching materials, teacher’s preparation, student’s motivation and apperception, various interactions, small-group discussions, student’s works sheet development, students’ presentations, teacher’s facilitations, students’ conclusions, and the scheme of cognitive development.In the broader sense of developing attitude and creativity of mathematics learning, the teacher may needs to in-depth understanding of the nature of school mathematics, the nature of students learn mathematics and the nature of constructivism in learning mathematics. Key Word: mathematical attitude, creativity in mathematics, innovation of mathematics teaching,school mathematics

MatriksMovie: Building The Nation Character Through Movie-Based Realistic Mathematics Education

The root of RME is Hans Freudenthal’s interpretations, mathematics as human activity and mathematics must be connected to reality. This study developed a mathematics teaching and learning model that includes the characteristics of RME packaged in production and utilization of educational films in the learning process, it is called MATRiKSMovie Activity. Activity theory is based on Vygotsky's cultural-historical psychology and it focuses on understanding human activity and work practices. Practice of problem solving in real life can lead students to reflect, and build nation character. This research question are how to develop and implement a valid, practical and effective model of teaching and learning with movie based RME approach in Senior High Schools and its effect on students character and learning outcomes. Conclusion of this research are model of teaching and learning with movie based RME approach met the criteria of the content and construct validity, practicality, and effectiveness as it resulted in some positive impacts on the pupils at Grade 10 in Senior High Schools, mathematics learning with movie-based RME approach can serve to build student character as well as the civilization of the nation's dignity in order to educate the nation life, activities and process skills of students in mathematics learning with movie based RME approach has provided a positive impacts on the student learning outcomes (cognitive, affective, and psychomotor). Model of teaching and learning with Movie-based RME approach can be applied in learning mathematics and should be developed further by taking into account students' environment, conditions and facilities available. Humanistic mathematics learning should be developed to build the nation character. Keywords: MATRiKSMovie, Realistic Mathematics Education, Movie, the Nation Characte

Developing Students’ Character Through Mathematics Teaching And Learning

The National Education System mandates that the national education serves to develop and shape the character and civilization of the nation. This confirms the quality of Indonesia's human to be developed by each educational unit. This normative national education goals need to be elaborated and implemented in the teaching and learning process, including mathematics teaching and learning. Mathematics teaching and learning should be well designed so that it can be used as a tool in developing positive character of students. Through the mathematics teaching and learning, implicitly or explicitly, can be developed variety of positive characteristics, such as critical thinking skills, logical thinking skills, analytical thinking skills, or meticulous. Such mathematics teaching and learning needs to be done consistently so will lead to habituation to the students that if beyond a certain limit, it belongs to the students' habits and entrenched in him. Key words: mathematics teaching and learning, characte

MOULDING POSITIVE CHARACTERS VIA INCULCATING VALUES IN MATHEMATICS TEACHING AND LEARNING

In this paper, I argue that it is pertinent to develop positive characters among all students as they are the future assets of a nation. A review of related literature shows that inculcating values and moulding character has been of great concern in the school mathematics curriculum of many countries. There are various categories of intrinsic values embedded in mathematics education. With careful and mindful integration into teaching and learning of mathematics, it is possible to inculcate positive values and thus produce positive characters of our future generation. Some suggestions on how to inculcate these values into mathematics teaching and learning at various school levels were discussed at the end of this paper. Keyword: mathematics teaching and learning; moulding character; values in mathematics educatio

Researcher-teacher collaboration in Māori-medium education: Aspects of learning for a teacher and researchers in Aotearoa New Zealand when teaching mathematics

This paper describes aspects of learning for a teacher in a Māori-medium Year 7–8 classroom and two mathematics education researchers from a university when they collaborated on a project supporting children to develop their ideas about transformation geometry. Key principles of kaupapa Māori (Māori ideology) methodology such as ako (reciprocal learning), manākitanga (showing care, respect and kindness) and whanaungatanga (family-like relationships) were integral to the initiation and facilitation of the research. Data presented is qualitative and derived largely from wānanga ā-kanohi (face-to-face discussion) between the participants. Results revealed that the collaborative partnership was conducive to developing insights into the complexities of learning mathematics in an indigenous setting. Issues of collegiality, learning mathematics in a second language, teacher mathematical knowledge and appropriate contexts for learning mathematics are analysed and discussed

An Experiment Of Mathematics Teaching Using SAVI Approach And Conventional Approach Viewed From The Motivation Of The Students Of Sultan Agung Junior High School In Purworejo

The objective of this research is to investigate whether Mathematics teaching using SAVI approach can make better achievement in learning Mathematics than conventional approach viewed from the student’s motivation of Sultan Agung Junior High School in Purworejo on the circle material. This research is a quasi experimental research with 2×3 factorial design. The subject of the research is the 8th-grade students of Sultan Agung Junior High School in Purworejo in the academic year 2010/2011. The sample of this research are 60 students which consist of experimental group and control group. The data were collected by using test of learning achievement in Mathematics and a questionnaire of student’s motivation. The test instruments were validated by expert. In the pre-requisite test, analysis variance precondition test using Liliefors test for normality and Bartlett test for homogeneity test. With ∝ =0,05, samples come from normal distributed population and homogeneous. The hypothesis testing using two-way ANAVA with different cell with α = 0,05. It shows: (1) Fc = 4.378 > Ft = 4.024, it means Mathematics teaching using SAVI approach gives a better achievement in learning Mathematics than using conventional approach; (2) Fc =20.822 > Ft= 3.174, it means the achievement in learning Mathematics of the students who have higher motivation is better than those who have lower motivation; and (3) Fc = 1.617 < Ft = 3.174, it means the difference characteristic between the Mathematics teaching using SAVI approach and conventional approach for every students’ motivation in learning Mathematics is the same. Key Words: Mathematics Teaching, SAVI, Motivatio