By :
Name : Yunia Indri Hapsari
NIM : (09301241034) / http://yunia-indri.blogspot.com
Math Education ‘09
Introduction
The socio-cultural and variety geographical condition in every country in the world cause the existence of various cultures (milticultural). The Indonesian culture will be different with other countries. Cultural diversity is a necessity that exist on this earth. They inhabit regions with a varying geographical conditions. Starting from the mountains, forest edges, coastal, lowland, rural, until in the city.
It is creating so many differences among countries. as did learning of mathematics. The manner or method that used by educators in each country in this world to teach mathematics to his students is different. So it’s important to know the various mathematics teaching learning process in the various countries. In this paper we will show the mathematical teaching in various context in various countries, so we can adopt the best one to applied in mathematical teaching-learning process.
Discussion
In this paper, we will show mathematical teaching across multicultural context especially in Indonesian,Thailand,japanese and philippines context. From that, we will show the differences of mathematical teaching method and choose the best method that can use to applied in mathematical learning process.
a. Indonesian context
In Indonesian School-Based Curriculum, it was stated that mathematics in primary and secondary school should encourage the students to think logically, analytically, systematically, critically, creatively and be able to collaborate with others. The implementations of primary and secondary mathematics curriculum in class-rooms need to develop problem solving skills covering both closed and open problems.
The curriculum outlines the aims of teaching learning of mathematics are as follows:
1. to understand the concepts of mathematics, to explain the relationships among them and to apply them to solve the problems accurately and efficiently,
2. to develop thinking skills to learn patterns and characteristics of mathematics, to manipulate them in order to generalize, to proof and to explain ideas and mathematics propositions,
3. to develop problems solving skills which covers understanding the problems, outlining mathematical models, solving them and estimating the outcomes,
4. to communicate mathematics ideas using symbols, tables, diagrams and other media, and
5. to develop appreciations of the uses of mathematics in daily life, curiosity, consideration, and willingness to learn mathematics as well as tough and self-confidence. Vocational Education prepares students for mastering a number of specific vocational skills. (Marsigit and R. Rosnawati,2011)
b. Philippines context
In Philippines context , the long term goal which the teachers formulated for their learning pocess was to develop students’ mathematical thinking through problem solving. Their sub-goals were for students to represent real-life and mathematical situations, to give meaning to these representations, and to solve problems in different ways.
For example to provide a context for developing the concept of polynomial function, it would be good for textbooks to use problems that would require students to think. The textbook must provided a good example of the application of polynomial function in real life to which students could relate. The problem would require the students to think and devise their own method to solve it. After some preliminary meetings, the teachers were finally able to conceptualize a problem that had a real-life context.
Through lesson study, the problem was developed collaboratively, tried in actual classrooms, and improved based on actual implementation results. It could be argued that the students used more thinking skills when they solved the problem than when they would have been simply asked to follow a set of procedures to learn polynomial function (Soledad A. Ulep,2011).
c. Japanese context
According to Japanese context, math act are carried out as problem solving.Problem solving is one of the most fundamental goals of teaching mathematics. Students work on a carefully chosen problem that illuminates a new mathematical understanding to be developed.
By grappling independently with the problem, and then sharing and building ideas as a class, students are able to progress from their initial thinking to a new understanding of the mathematical concept.
Japanese teachers often note that, the real lesson begins after students have finished solving the problem. Students build an understanding of the new mathematical concept as they examine and compare solution methods.
To plan a good problem-solving lesson, teachers must anticipate the student solution approaches that will emerge, and plan which approaches to discuss with the whole class, in what order. In Japan the teacher’s manual offers considerable information about students’ thinking. The teacher must plan not only the teacher’s part, but also anticipate student thinking and plan how it will be presented and discussed to allow students to develop new mathematical understandings (Catherine C. Lewis)
d. Thailand context
In Thailand context, the main goal of mathematical learning is that the student can solve the real problem in the real life. To achieve the main goal of mathematics learning, then teachers in Thailand are often used in the modeling approach to learning mathematics. A modeling approach to problem solving focuses a variety of mathematical skill on finding a solution and help students see mathematics in a broad spectrum of applications.
Mathematical Model Activities would be developed to support word wide learning about mathematical models. Mathematical modeling could be defined as translating encountered problems into mathematical forms by seeing mathematics as a tool for solving problems. Situations could be translated into the mathematical models in order to using appropriate mathematical methods to find solution for those problems.
1. Observing a phenomenon, delineating the problem situation inherent in the phenomenon, and discerning the important factors (variables/parameters) that affect the problem
2. Conjecturing the relationships among factors and interpreting them mathematically to obtain a model for the phenomenon
3. Applying appropriate mathematical analysis to the model
4. Obtaining results and reinterpreting them in the context of the phenomenon under study and drawing conclusions
( Utith Inprasit,2011)
Conclusion
Every country in this world have different cultures. It was very influential on several things including the education sector. In learning, especially learning mathematics also every State has the way, methods or different approaches. Viewed different ways of teaching mathematics based multicultural context can open our knowledge so that we can adopt the way of good teaching, which is adapted to our culture.
