Letters in Algebra as The Transition from Arithmetic Thinking to Algebraic Thinking
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31980/mosharafa.v12i3.818Keywords:
transisi, berpikir aritmetik, berpikir aljabar, huruf-huruf aljabar, kualitatif, transition, arithmetic thinking, algebraic thinking, algebraic letters, qualitativeAbstract
Huruf-huruf aljabar biasanya hanya dikenal sebagai variabel oleh siswa, padahal huruf-huruf aljabar ini memiliki ragam makna pada suatu permasalahan matematis. Pada penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menyelidiki interpretasi siswa terhadap makna dari huruf-huruf aljabar dalam menyelesaikan masalah matematis dengan perspektif siswa dalam masa transisi berpikir aritmetik ke berpikir aljabar. Penelitian yang digunakan pada penelitian kualitatif dengan jenis penelitian pada penelitian fenomenologi. Partisipan penelitian ini merupakan 18 siswa SMP yang diambil dari tiga sekolah yang terdapat di Riau. Teknik pengumpul data pada penelitian ini adalah dokumen lembar kerja siswa, wawancara yang direkam secara audio dan video dan catatan lapangan penelitian. Berdasarkan temuan penelitian pada siswa kelas VII tersebut, ditemukan bahwa siswa menginterpretasikan huruf-huruf aljabar hanya sebagai pengganti dari bilangan tertentu. Siswa menjadikan huruf-huruf aljabar sebatas pengganti bilangan asli dibandingkan sebagai bilangan yang diperumum. Huruf-huruf aljabar yang dikaitkan dengan ekspresi aljabar dan operasi aljabar serta persamaan aljabar memberikan kesulitan bagi siswa dalam menyelesaikan masalah tersebut. Hal ini disebabkan siswa belum mampu melihat bahwa huruf-huruf aljabar tersebut merupakan serangkaian konsep dasar aljabar generalized numbers bahkan pada konsep variabel.
Algebraic letters are usually only known as variables by students, even though these algebraic letters have a variety of meanings in a mathematical problem. This study aims to investigate students' interpretation of the meaning of algebraic letters in solving mathematical problems from the perspective of students in the transition period from arithmetic to algebraic thinking. The type of research used in qualitative research is phenomenological research. The participants of this study were 18 junior high school students taken from three schools in Riau. Data collection techniques in this study were student worksheet documents, audio- and video-recorded interviews, and research field notes. Based on the research findings on the seventh-grade students, it was found that students interpret algebraic letters only as a substitute for certain numbers. Students make algebraic letters as a substitute for natural numbers rather than as generalized numbers. Algebraic letters associated with algebraic expressions, algebraic operations, and algebraic equations deliver difficulties for students in solving these problems. This is because students have not been able to see that these algebraic letters are a series of basic concepts of generalized numbers in algebra, even on the concept of variables.
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