Singaraja – The role of mathematics in various fields of human life is undeniable. Even the mastery of knowledge which is very attached to the formula is often used as a benchmark for the progress of a nation. Specifically for Indonesian mathematics mastery, which is reflected in students’ abilities, based on the results of the 2015 Program for International Students Assessment (PISA) study, it shows that the ranking is still low, in 63rd position out of 69 countries.
The research results of researchers from the 2018 Research on Improvement of System Education (RISE) also show that the ability of students to solve simple math problems is not significantly different between students who have just entered elementary school (SD) and those who have graduated from high school (SMA) so that Indonesia is currently declared a math emergency.
For this, a team of servants from the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM) of the University of Education of Ganesha (Undiksha), namely I Putu Pasek Suryawan, M.Pd., I Gusti Nyoman Yudi Hartawan, M, Sc., and Adrianus I Wayan Ilia Yuda Sukmana, S.Kom., M.Pd., took real steps, went directly to the community to share strategies to improve the quality of learning.
The Head of the Implementation Team, Putu Pasek Suryawan, M.Pd, explained on Sunday (11/8) that the community service program targets SD 1 to 4 in Candikuning Village, which is part of Cluster VI, Baturiti District, Tabanan Regency. At the outset, an in-depth analysis of the situation is carried out. They found various facts about learning mathematics. Namely, the teacher’s mastery of the material is still weak so they tend to teach mathematics using the lecture method. There is also a phobia among students. Mathematics is considered mathematics as a subject that is difficult, boring, and even frightening so it has an impact on learning outcomes that are not optimal. The minimum number of teaching aids, according to this young academic, is still a problem, including the weak skills of teachers in designing lessons. “We did an analysis of this situation a year ago when submitting an activity proposal to receive funding from the Directorate of Research and Community Service (DRPM) Kemenristekdikti,” he explained.
Moving on from these problems, the team and the school agreed to come up with a solution through Community Partnership Program activities in the form of “Improving the Quality of Elementary Mathematics Learning through Strengthening Teacher Competence, Math Corner, and Lesson Study”. A series of activities have been carried out since June 2019 and will continue until next October. Teacher competence in learning mathematics is strengthened through strengthening teaching materials and learning strategies. There is also storage and the creation of learning media/tools as well as a math corner as a mini math lab in the classroom. “Teachers’ ability to design mathematics learning that emphasizes mathematical activity (Hands-On – Mind On) is also improved, and students are accustomed to doing mathematical exploration independently in the math corner. We provide this through assistance,” said Suryawan.
The Chairperson of Cluster VI of Baturiti District, I Wayan Simpen, S.Pd., responded positively to this community service program which is the implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education. He who is also the Head of SDN 1 Candikuning assesses that with an ideal learning pattern, it will be able to produce students who are increasingly qualified and competitive. “We hope programs like this can be sustainable,” he said. (hms)
