Rabu, 17 Desember 2008

Student’s Autonomy in Mathematics Studying

I can say that education is a process of practice and study to improve skill and ability. So, in education, student’s autonomy is very important to be developed. With autonomy, students will be able to measure the development of their skill and will always be motivated to be better.
There are some words to call autonomous studying. They are 1) independent learning, 2) self-directed learning, and 3) autonomous learning (Candy, Philip C., “Independent Learning: Some Ideas from Literature”).
"Independent Learning is that learning in which the learner, in conjunction with relevant others, can make the decisions necessary to meet the learner's own learning needs." (Kesten, 1987, p. 3)
I think, autonomous student will have big and good confidence in studying. They will not depend on the other. They will measure their skill with hard effort that have be done. If they find some difficulties, without hesitation they will ask to the other people that is cleverer by discussing about it. They also will try to look for some references that are more complete. For them, a wrong is an experience and lesson of life that is meaningful. Because with the wrong they will try to seek the best solution to solve the problem and try to be not to repeat the wrong again. So, they will know a right from a wrong.
Especially, in mathematics learning, students have to make and do many exercises. So, they will understand the concept of mathematics easily. Because, study mathematics needs understanding of concept not only recitation. With making and doing some exercises autonomously, students will be usual in solving of mathematics problems. Therefore, Autonomy in mathematics studying is also important.
I have an experience about autonomy in studying. When I was in elementary school and junior high school I have not had a good autonomy. I still depended on may friends in studying and examination. But, I though, it also happened because of environment factor. My study’s environment made me to be not autonomous student. I was not sure in studying . so, my result of study was not so satisfactory.
My study’s autonomy began appear when I was in senior high school. It was when I followed the first examination. I was not sure in studying so I still depended on my friends to finish my work. And the result was also not satisfactory. Then I though, “I should not be like that. I have to show my skill without depend on the other.” So, I began to study hard. And Alhamdulillah, I could repair my value be better. My autonomy in studying was also motivated by my friends and my teachers. Competitions with the others, enthusiasm, spirit, and attention from my teachers could make me be also enthusiasm and interested me to be more diligent in studying.
So, teachers also have to create condition of learning that are conducive, interested, happy, and be able to motivate the student to be enthusiasm and happy to learn mathematics independently. There are some ways to motivate student to study mathematics autonomously, they are :
• Invite student to solve mathematics problems together,
• Give some assignments that can improve student’s creativities in solving mathematics problems,
• Give students some chances to discuss the lesson with their friends so they will be interested in mathematics learning.
From my experience, I can say that the advantages of student’s autonomy in studying are :
• Student will have big spirit and enthusiasm in studying,
• Student will have good confidence in studying,
• Student can create new innovation in studying,
• Student will want to know about unknown something,
• Student will be satisfactory with his /her hard effort,
• Student can improve his/her skill and ability, not only the value.
Therefore, autonomy in studying have important role for student. Autonomy don’t mean that they have to study just by themselves, but they can study together with their friends, make discussion, and do cooperative learning. With autonomy, student can be motivated to study diligently and improve their skill. So, let’s we try to build autonomy for ourselves and around people.

Rabu, 10 Desember 2008

What I can reflect about psychological aspects if the student is confronted with the following questions?

Teachers should can understand their student’s skill and ability. Therefore, when they give some problems or questions, they also have to consider and adjust the problem with student’s ability in order that will appear good psychological aspects from students when they get the problem or question.
This time, I’ve got a assignment from psychological of study mathematics lecturer, Mr. Marsigit about “What I can reflect about psychological aspects if the student is confronted with the following questions?”

Questions :

1. Tentukan himpunan penyelesaian dari SPNLDV berikut,
a. (5/x)+(4/y)=-2dan(-3/x)-(6/y)=(9/4)
b. (3/a)+(2/b)-(5/2)=0dan(2/a)+(4/3b)=(5/3)
2. Ani dan Budi pergi membeli buku dan pensil di toko buku. Harga pembelian buku dan pensil mereka dapat kamu lihat pada tabel berikut.
Pembeli Buku Pensil Harga
Ani 2 3 Rp. 7.200,00
Budi 3 2 Rp. 7.800,00
Tentukan harga satu buku dan satu pensil.
3. Rina dan Santi pergi ke supermarket. Rina membeli lima kilogram apel dan satu kilogram jeruk Rp. 60.000,00. Santi membeli dua kilogram apel dan tiga kilogram jeruk seharga Rp. 50.000,00. Tentukan harga satu kilogram apel dan satu kiligram jeruk.
4. Rudi sedang menghitung uang sakunya bulan ini. Uang saku Rudi terdiri atas lembaran sepuluh ribu rupiah dan lima ribu rupiah. Jumlah seluruh lembaran uang saku Rudi 8 lembar. Adapun jumlah uang saku Rudi seluruhnya adalah Rp. 65.000,00. Tentukan banyaknya setiap lembaran uang saku Rudi tersebut.

This assignment is meant to give us a description about “teacher” with their role as facilitator of student.
I still remember when I found some questions as number one when I was in junior high school. In beginning, I also felt confuse how I could solve the questions. Then I asked to my teacher about it directly. And my teacher said that we could solve it by multiplying each equations with “xy”, then it could be finished by substitution or elimination method. I tried that ways and I could get the solutions. In other hand, I also got the other solving way in senior high school. We can get the solution by let “(1/x) = a” and “(1/y) = b”, so will appear linear equations with two variables, they are a and b. then we solve it by using substitution or elimination method.
From my experiences, I can say that number one questions are rather difficult to junior high school students. How much more if they never get the material/subject from their teacher before and never get exercise about it. As “Law of Readiness” by Thorn Dike, if we have readiness to do or study something, we will enjoy in studying and understand subject easily. But, that also depend on student’s skill. They will feel confuse, afraid when they get the questions for them that like mathematics but they have not known the way to solve it. It is different for them that have no care to mathematics. Although they cannot solve it, they will never think about it and will depend on the other students. And for them that are usually with that questions, they will be happy and have good confidence with the questions.
Beside that, I also try to give the questions to a student of junior high school. Her name is Vina. Beginning, she asked to me how to solve the question number one. And then she could solve the other questions (number two until four) by her self fast and exactly. I think, it happens because the questions of number two until four are application questions of linear equation that are in connection with ordinary life. So, student will be more easy to remember it. Therefore, the students will be happy and optimistic to solve the questions.
We can conclude that as a teacher, he/she has to understand student’s skill and ability. So, he/she can measure and evaluate study’s result of student well. And also, get exercise in studying mathematics is very important. It is meant that student can remember and understand the subject easily.



Rani Kristina Dewi
07301241051
Pendidikan Matematika R
085726491769

Rabu, 03 Desember 2008

Method of Study's Evaluation

A. Introduction
Evaluation of study is needed in teaching learning process. That is meant to see how far the success of teaching learning process has been reached. One of ways that we can do to know it is by measuring student's understanding of explained lesson in class.
It is not easy to evaluate teaching learning process, especially study's result of student. Teachers have to understand student's ability objectively in order to get good evaluation's result and can be responsible. Therefore, teachers have to choose and use exact method in accumulating, processing, and analyzing student's data.

B. Evaluation
We can say that evaluation is a value giving process of some things or some activities. As they said about evaluation, "...refer to the act or process to determining the value of same things." (Wand and Brown, 1951:1). And also, "An evaluation is a declaration that some things has or does not have value." (Wintherington, 1950:241).
How about measurement? Is it different from evaluation?
Wand and Brown said about it, "...the act or process of ascertaining the extent or quantity of some things."
So, in this case, evaluation is different from measurement. But, they can't be separated from each other. We have to take measurement before we do evaluation.

1) Evaluation's Aim
# To know how far the student can understand the subject.
# To know how far the student's ability and perseverance in subject.
# To know the effectiveness and efficiency of teaching strategy that has been used.

2) Evaluation's Principle
# Continuity
Evaluation should not be done incidentally because education is a continual process, so evaluation has to be done continually too.
# Universal
Evaluation is done in all aspect, cognitive, affective, and phsychomotoric.
# Cooperative
To get a good evaluation's result, evaluation will be better to be done by making relation with other teachers or parent.

3) Procedure of Evaluation
*Planning
Planning is needed to prepare information and time allocation exactly.
"To facilitate gathering data, thereby making possible valid statement about effect or outcomes of the program, practice, or policy under study." (W. James Pophan, 1974:159). In that plan, teachers should arrange "lay out" in order that the test materials are representative of given subject. And also do "try out" to know how effective the used method, namely add other better method and leave not exact method.
*Doing Test and Accumulating Data
Purpose of doing test is to accumulate data about all aspect of student's study result, as talent, interest, skill, achievement, etc.
*Processing Data
The method that usually used is statistics analyst for quantitative data.
*Interpretation Data
Interpret data can be done in group or private data.
*Report

4) Technique and Type of Evaluation
@Test
-Writing (Objective or Essay)
-Speaking
-Acting
@Non Test
-Interview
-Observation

5) Processing Score
Raw Score
$ Ways to give raw score for Essay test
^Determine maximal score every item
Formula :
Score = (∑ x : ∑ i)
^Determine score and weight every item
Formula :
Score = (∑ XB : ∑B)

Where : ∑ x → sum of score
∑ i → sum of item
B → bobot

$ Ways to give row score for objective test
^Non- guessing formula
Base on this way, teachers should give score 1 for correct answer and 0 for wrong answer.
^Guessing formula, they are :
#True-False type
Formula :
Score = (∑R-∑W) x Wt
#Multiple Choice Type
Formula :
Score ={∑R-(∑W:(n-1))}
#Matching Type
Score = ∑R x Wt
#Short Answer and Completion Type
Score = ∑R x Wt

Where : R → sum of true answer
W→ sum of false answer
Wt→ weight
n→ sum of answer’s option

Total score is the sum of score by guessing formula and called raw score. Row score still need to Be processed again to determine “passing grade” of student by determine mean and deviation standard value. And also teachers should change raw score with standard/ drived score.

6) Predict Evaluation’s Result
@ Criterion Referenced Evaluation (CRE)
This method is emphasize what the students have done.
@ Norm Referenced Evaluation (NRE)
This method compare the students with the others. NRE is same as CRE, but different In reaching mean and deviation standard.
@ Approach to Combination
This is between CRE and NRE and same as them, but different In reaching mean and deviation standard.

C. Statistics method
Statistics analyst method is often used to analyze quantitative data.
Statistics method is ways to accumulate, process, present, analyze data, make conclusion, and also make decision base on fact and analyzing process.

1) Characteristic of Statistics
-Numerical
-Objective
-Universal

2) There are two kinds of statistics, they are :
@ Descriptive Statistics
Descriptive statistics is statistics that the working includes the ways of account, arrange, process, present, and analyzing data In order that can give concise description of some things. Descriptive statistics analysis is a statistics analysis to give description or show the result of experiment that is simple and can’t be generalized.
@ Inferential Statistics
A statistics that present rules or ways that can Be used as a tool In getting general conclusion from arranged and processed data.
There are some things that is necessary to Be considered In statistics technique choosing to analyze data. They are :
^How many experiment’s subject
^Some equipments
^Condition of data distributions
^How many analyzed variable
^Kind of processed data

3) Kinds of Statistics Data
$ Base on the character
# Continuous Data
Continuous data is data that the number are series of number continuously.
Example : height and weight of body
#Discrit Data
This is a statistics data in integer.
Example : sum of students

@ Base on the arranging method
#Nominal Data
It is statistics data that has method of arrangement base on the classification.
Example : sum of students base on sex
#Ordinal Data
It is statistics data that has method of arrangement base on the grade or level.
#Interval Data
It is statistics data that there are same space among some things which are being experimented.
Example : 10 students got test’s result In variation among 1 until 10.
#Ratio Data
It is continuous data that have special character.

4) Quantitative Descriptive Analyze
In this method, teacher should group asks base on category and make them in percentage.
Example :
Title → Difficulty of Student In Solving Geometry Questions
Problem → What wrongs that are most done by student In solving geometry questions?
Analyze → Classify student’s wrong In solving questions.
*Knowing 30, mean (30/150) x 100% = 20%
*Concept 60, mean (60/150) x 100% = 40%
*Relation of concept 40, mean (40/150) x 100% = 26.67%
*Finishing 20, mean (20/150) x 100% = 13,33%
Conclusion → Wrongs that are most done by students In solving geometry question are In concept of subject.

D. Conclusion
Evaluate is not easy as we think. All them have to Be done objectively. So, teachers should know the right and exact method to evaluate student’s studying In order that can get good and objective evaluation.

E. References
http://muhammadwinafgani.weblog.com/
http://aisiahira.tblog.com/
Arifin, Zainal.1990. Evaluasi Instruksional. Bandung : PT Remaja Rosdakarya.


Rani Kristina Dewi
07301241051
Pendidikan Matematika R
Tugas Psikologi Belajar Matematika