Infinity Journal

Empowering students’ numeracy skills: Mathematics teachers’ perceptions regarding the effectiveness and challenges of Indonesian national curriculum and the programs – A mixed method study

Irma Rachmah Hidayah — 2024-11-21

As the Indonesian National Curriculum (INC), the Merdeka curriculum was implemented in response to students' difficulties in comprehending and utilizing basic mathematics, contributing to low numeracy skills. This study investigated mathematics teachers' perceptions in Indonesia concerning the effectiveness of INC and the supporting programs, such as the National Assessment (NA) and Pancasila Student Profile (PSP), in improving students' numeracy skills. It also aimed to identify mathematics teachers' challenges in integrating numeracy skills into the curriculum and these programs. A mixed-method study with a sequential explanatory design was used to achieve this objective. The data collection was carried out through quantitative and qualitative approaches. Closed questionnaires were explicitly used for quantitative data, while open questionnaires and interviews were used for qualitative data. Inferential statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data and a thematic analysis for qualitative data. The quantitative results showed that most teachers positively perceived the effectiveness of INC and the programs in empowering students' numeracy skills. The implementation of INC and PSP significantly influenced the empowerment of numeracy skills. The qualitative analysis provided an in-depth exploration of teachers' perceptions and the challenges faced in promoting numeracy skills in implementing INC and the programs.

Factors influencing the attitude of undergraduate students towards mathematical reasoning: An approach using AMOS-structural equation modelling

Chan Choon Tak — 2024-10-11

Studies on mathematics achievement status show that mathematical reasoning in Malaysian education is critical, especially among university students. Students' attitude toward mathematics is affected by affective, behavioural and cognitive factors. The present research investigated the connections between these variables and their impact on individuals' attitudes towards mathematics reasoning. A statistical analysis method, namely, AMOS-Structural Equation Modelling, was used in this approach. The survey method involving 378 university education students around the Klang Valley was selected using a proportional stratified random sampling technique. The respondents must complete the mathematics reasoning assessment and answer the questionnaire consisting of three components: affective, behavioural and cognitive towards mathematics reasoning. AMOS-Structural Equation Modelling (AMOS-SEM) was applied using data obtained from questionnaires. Results demonstrated that the measurement models showed acceptable validity and reliability by removing some indications from the scales. The findings illustrate the relationship between students' attitudes and mathematical reasoning. Moreover, attitude is significantly related to students' mathematical reasoning performance in university education. The next study's recommendation involves an interview session to explore more findings that might impact their learning in mathematical reasoning.

Improving mathematical proof based on computational thinking components for prospective teachers in abstract algebra courses

Elah Nurlaelah — 2024-10-06

Understanding and constructing mathematical proofs is fundamental for students in abstract algebra courses. The computational thinking approach can aid the process of compiling mathematical proofs. This study examined the impact of integrating computational thinking components in constructing mathematical proofs. The researcher employed a sequential explanatory approach to ascertain the enhancement of algebraic proof capability based on computational thinking through the t- test. A total of 32 prospective teachers in mathematics education programs were provided with worksheets for seven meetings, which were combined with computational thinking components. Quantitative data were collected from initial and subsequent test instruments. Moreover, three prospective teachers were examined through case studies to investigate their mathematical proof capability using computational thinking components, including decomposition, abstraction, pattern recognition, and algorithmic thinking. The study's findings indicated that CT intervention enhanced students' logical reasoning, proof-writing abilities, and overall engagement with abstract algebra concepts. The findings illustrate that integrating computational thinking into learning strategies can provide a framework for developing higher-order thinking skills, especially in proving, which are essential for studies in mathematics education programs.

Trends of abstraction research in mathematics education: A bibliometric analysis

Hodiyanto Hodiyanto — 2024-11-11

Abstraction is fundamental in mathematics learning because students can discover the studied concepts through abstraction. Bibliometric analyses of abstraction research in mathematics education have yet to be published. A bibliometric analysis is conducted to explore trends in abstraction research. The mathematics education researchers will gain insights from studying the development of abstraction research over the last fifteen years. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the primary journals published, the most productive authors, universities, and countries and to identify current trends in abstraction research. Data were collected from the Scopus database and analysed using VOSviewer and R software. A thorough review was conducted on 271 articles published between 2008 and 2022. The collected data was analysed and presented using R studio and VOSviewer software. The publication of abstraction research has increased every year. Abstraction studies related to geometry, computational thinking, and preschool are trend and abstraction studies related to gesture, preschool child, arithmetic, physiology, mathematical concepts, geometry, language, and cognition. Abstraction research is exciting because it will still trend until 2022. This study offers valuable insights to researchers interested in mathematics education for exploring alternative research directions to the primary research trends. Based on these results, recommendations for further research are given so that they can explore various options for research trends.

Blended online learning: Students' perception and its effect on learning outcomes abstract algebra

Yumiati Yumiati — 2024-09-10

In the current digital era, the implementation of blended online learning faces challenges in understanding students' perceptions and its impact on learning outcomes, particularly in Abstract Algebra. This issue is crucial to investigate, as the shift in teaching methods can influence the comprehension of complex algebraic concepts. This research aims to investigate students' perceptions and learning outcomes in abstract algebra courses of blended and asynchronous online learning. The research method used was quasi-experiment. The subject of 27 students is available without being randomly selected. Research instruments using questionnaires and tests. The test consists of eight essay questions. The questionnaire includes 27 closed-ended questions and six open-ended questions. The results showed that students perceived Abstract Algebra subjects as difficult or very difficult. Most students needed help to study the module due to material difficulty thoroughly. In addition, asynchronous online learning is ineffective compared to blended online learning. All students wanted the tutorial asynchronous and synchronous combined (blended online learning). Most students carry out online learning at home using a smartphone device. Students who use blended online learning obtain significantly higher learning outcomes than students who only take it asynchronously.