The Role Of Ethnomathematics In The Development Of Teaching And Learning Mathematics

Riana Sinta Dewi

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The Role Of Ethnomathematics In The Development Of Teaching And Learning Mathematics

Dr. Marsigit, M.A

            Pure mathematics and school mathematics is different. According to Jaworski (1994: 83) teaches mathematics is not easy because we still see students who have difficulties in learning mathematics. While on the other hand, we find the fact that it is not easy for educators to change the style of learning (Dean, 1982: 32).While we are required, as educators, to constantly adjust our teaching methods in accordance with the demands of changing times (Alexander, 1994: 20). So to understanding school mathematics, we must to know the nature of school mathematics and the nature of students’ learn mathematics firstly.

The Nature of School Mathematics

Cocrorf in Marsigit (2003) Ebutt and Straker define the nature of school mathematics like below:

1.      Mathematics as a searching pattern and relationship, some aspects that include in here are give a chance for students to do a discovery activities and find the patterns to determine the relations; give a chance for students to try by their own way; support them to fins the arrange, difference, comparration, group, etc; support them to make a general conclusion; help them to understand and find the relationship between the meaning one others.

2.      Mathematics as a creativity that need imagination, intuition, and discovery. Some aspects that include here are support students creativity and give a chance to different thinking, support their feel to like to know, support their estimate and their discovery,etc

3.      Mathematics is problem solving, some aspect that include here are give a space to learn mathematics to guide a mathematics problems, help students solve mathematics problems by their own way, help students to get some informations that needed to solve mathematical problems, etc

4.      Mathematics as a communication tool, some aspects that include here are support students to know about mathematics, support students to make an example about mathematical properties, support students to give a reason why we need mathematics, etc.

The Nature of Students’ Learn Mathematics

Cocrof in Marsigit (2003) Ebbutt and Straker (1995: 10-63) gives the assumptions about the characteristics of learners as follows:

1.      Students will learn mathematics if they have the motivation.

The implications of this view for teachers' effort are: (1) provide fun activities, (2) pay attention to the desire of students, (3) develop an understanding through what who know the students, (4) create a classroom atmosphere that supports learning activities, (5) provide activities that correspond with learning objectives, (6) provide activities that challenge, (7) provide activities that give hope of success, (8) respect achievement of each student.

2.      Students learn mathematics in its own way.

The implications of this view are: (1) students learn in different ways and with different speeds, (2) each student requires a special experience that is connected with experience in the past, (3) each student has a socio-economic background- different cultures. Therefore, teachers need to: (1) know the advantages and shortage of students, (2) planning activities appropriate to the level of ability students, (3) build the knowledge and skills that he obtained a good student at school and at home, (4) using the records of student progress (assessment).

3.      Students learn mathematics either independently or through collaboration with friends.

The implications of this view for  teachers effort are: (1) provide learning opportunities into train a group of co-operation, (2) provides an opportunity to learn the classical provide an opportunity to exchange ideas, (3) provide an opportunity for students to conduct its activities independently, (4) involving students in decision making on activities to be done, and (5) teach how to learn mathematics.

4.      Students need context and the different situations in studying mathematics.

The implications of this view for  teachers effort are: (1) provide and use a variety of props, (2) provide opportunities to learn mathematics in a variety of places and circumstances, (3) provide opportunities to use mathematics to a variety of purposes, (4) develop an attitude of using mathematics as a tool to solve the problems both at school and at home, (5) appreciate the contribution of tradition, culture and art in mathematical development, and (6) help students assess their own mathematical activity.

           

            We as a society to live in a culture. So, it can be easier to teacher to introducting mathematics to students with use the basical knowledge of students. For example, use the culture of environment as a context.  Or we known as ethnomathematics.

            Ethnomathematics with ethnograph as the methode expresses the relationship between culture and mathematics. and because mathematics in here is school mathematics so must understanding the nature of school mathematics and the nature of students’ learn mathematics. and with anthropology and society psychology we can development the society into archaic – tribal – traditional – feodal – modern – post modern. Because of that we can develop mathematics as context math – concrete model – formal model – formal math. There are 2 motivation of this system there are instrinsic motivation and exstrinsic motivation with teaching learning process how to interact subjective mathematics and objecteive mathematics. and the goal is how to enculture mathematics with logic and experience as the source.

            I think contructivism theory is suitable answer. The paradigm is how to make student own knowledge so with logic and experience we can do it. Teacher can use culture (ethnomathemtics) as a context and basic knowledge of students that use to more explore.

Reference:

Marsigit. 2004. Inovasi Pembelajaran Untuk Meningkatkan Gairah Siswa Dalam Belajar. Yogyakarta: FMIPA UNY