HOW TO UNCOVER RELIGIOUS VALUE IN STUDENTS MATHEMATICS LEARNING

As a prolog, I'm going to tell you a short story. It based on my boarding house friend's story. She has back from America (Student Exchange Program), and one of her gift brought back from America is story about American habits. Most of American's opinion that religion is privacy, it can be sensitive things if it's talked in public situation. It's contrary with Indonesian, whom Indonesian always "let loose (mengumbar-umbar)" about truth of each their own religion without pay attention to other adherent's feeling.

Even, there are some people's opinion that "Don't mixed up between religious affair and science, because science is not related with religion, and those terms is different each other. I think, that assumption is exactly wrong. Do you know ? without religion, science development will be uncontrolled. Scientist will be competed to invent or create new formula (new technology) and eventually not appropriate with religious theory. For example like HUMAN CLONING, I think, HUMAN CLONING in each religion doesn't allow. It make clear that development of science or technology which is not followed with religious value is not meaningfull. That's in Biology Science. In Economic, we have problem like corruption, because of sophisticated technology in computation numbers made person fall asleep with money and caused deviation behaviour.

So…………what connection between this above mentioned case with uncover religious value in students mathematics learning ?

Of course, it has connection. In students mathematics learning, religious value can be motivation factor, inspiration, and getting ideas for solve mathematics problem.

My Senior High School Mathematics Teacher was given a suggestion to us that pray (Sholat) especially in "Sujud Move" makes blood circulation fast down to the brain so that made think easier and think fast. My teacher also tell us story about experiment " How a elementary school student in SD Muhamadiyah Sapen Yogyakarta got a gold medal in World Mathematic Olympic". Eventually, there is a Professor from America who research why Indonesian can be so bright in Mathematics, and the result was found a miracle in Sholat, and wonderfully, that student do "Sholat Dhuha" everyday without stopping, How come it's got ?, It's proved that blood circulation fast down to the brain so that made think easier and think fast, of course to solve mathematic problems.

From many stories above, we're expected to all Mathematics Teacher in Indonesia to apply education with religious principle so that form young generations is not just intelectual but behaviouristik, faithy, and religious.

PSYCHOLOGY RESPONSES OF THE STUDENTS BY GIVING SOME MATHEMATICS TASKS

Students now is complicated. Sometimes, they have many outschool activities that made their homework unfinished. Moreover, students getting lazier and no motivation to do their homework because of tired in other activity or nothing concentration during study (doing task). Don’t worry, it can be learned by us (as a teacher or teacher candidate) to understand them.

Here, I’m going to show you about my survey in giving mathematics tasks for three samples of Junior High School Students in Magelang. Some tasks have showed below

1. Determine the formula of function g(x)= x – 1 and find the value for x = -4 and x = 3 !
2. Determine h (-5) if h(x) = -3x + 4 and find the value of c if h(c) = -8!
And the results are :

1. Name : Rully Susilowati

Class : IX D

School : SMPN 2 Bandongan

Sex : Female

Time of observation : December, 8th 2008 at 7.p.m

From her answer, I can conclude that she wasn’t focus when she was doing a task. It proved from some “soul symptom” that I’ve perceived during learning process :

a. She’s looked slow expression, no fear, common expression, and (mostly calm), calm here, it means that she didn’t take charge (menguasai) the material. For note, this test was done at night when she has spare time (in the morning until afternoon, she was “busy” with her activity in outdoor). One thing, when I evaluated her work, I have time to ask her if there’s something wrong with her because she’s really “blank”…..and unfortunately, she has problem with her boy friend. Oh GOD…

b. The phenomena psychology that I perceived from Rully is lack of affection and attention from her parents, it proved that her parents didn’t control her study time so she couldn’t explore her time wisely.

2. Name : Fenti Sri. R

Class : IX A

School : SMPN 1 Tempuran

Sex : Female

Time of observation : December, 8th 2008 at 7 p.m

The psychology phenomena are :

a. Fenti is same as with Rully, she almost spending her time for traveling and playing, so observer can give her test at night when she’s so sleepy.

b. She’s so calm, no question, sometimes condensing, no nerveous, she also looked cheat the answer of other responden, whereas, observer has give her warning but she didn’t pay attention.

3. Name : Nanda Dwi Putra

Class : VIII

School : SMP Kartika XII-I

Sex : Male

Time of observation : December, 8th 2008 at 10 a.m

The psychology phenomena are :

a. Contrary with the others, Nanda is diligently one. He’s also calm, confident, be his self, has critical thingking, no nerveous and smart.

b. Background of his family is good and his parents always control his study time, so can spend hid time wisely.

From the observation above, I can conclude that psychology condition of students is more important than the others because it’s influence or determine the achievement’s students.

We also hope to the parents should stay look after, observe, and give attention to their children for better their future.

Runtyani Irjayanti Putri

05301241035

Pend. Matematika Reg

CP : 085878988944

tya_math@yahoo.co.id

MY EXPERIENCE IN GETTING INSPIRING WORD AND SUCCESFULL STORY IN MATHEMATICS LEARNING (METAPHORA)

Almost one year when I was first grade in senior high school, I hate mathematics very much. That’s why at that time, I always avoid mathematics lesson. It’s worse when I was junior high school. Many reasons that make me feel so bored towards this “killer subject”. Everyday, we have to been faced with mathematics problems, exercises, daily test, exams and so on and so on……. which made me headache. Imagine it !!..... no joke, no story, no smile, and no interesting in class …………Oh GOD……. what should I do ?......how can i’ll get good score if I hate this one?

At that moment, I have time to think…..Is it my mistake ? Or my mathematics teacher’s mistake ? Ohh……I almost hopeless to face it, and after tired to think, I decided to join private course with different teacher and different character to prepared a semester final exam, and finally, do you know my result? It’s wonderfull, I felt surprise with myself……I’ve got 8 in my report………Thanks GOD……

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Based my experience above, I agree about statement that “ Student’s good achievement is depend on the teacher”, In this term, the role of teacher is important, which is teacher can explore their ability to improve their student’s motivation and enthusiasm.

There’s a way to realizing that desire. It’s called metaphora. Metaphora is presenting true story about succesfull person, imageries about a life style or life form which is notabene will be faced the students later, simulation, inspiring word / person, successfulness reality and others interesting story by a teacher. It’s expected, after end of learning, each of students as a learner has more knowledge about the real life of their future so their motivation will be really improved. Metaphora can bring the students to happiness and emotion atmosphere so create enjoying and meaningfull learning. (DePorter, Reardon, and Nourie, 2000 : 14).

Without emotion’s involved, activity of brain nerve is less than necessary for gumming the lesson in memory. The while, a student will learn competently if he/she likes what is he/she studying and he/she will enjoy to be involved in it (Howard Gardner, 1995, dalam DePorter, dkk, 2000 : 23).

I remember, in my experience long time ago (second & third grade in senior high school), my teacher always give some prologs (apperception) to open our learning. The examples are :

1. My teacher always said to us (all the students) that “ I think I can”, “ Be optimistic, don’t be a looser”, “Don’t give up in every conditions”, “Keep spirit……spirit… n spirit…..”, like those.

2. My teacher never said to us that we are “stupid”, but He always said that “We are the cleverest students, proper to be prided”

3. My teacher also tell us the story about Bill Gate, a figure from America that couldn’t finish his education in senior high school (not really clever) but finally he would be manager of Microsoft Company.

4. My teacher often tell about film, at that time, “ Beautifull Mind “

Beautifull Mind Film told about A mathematician who has “different world”, whom he always “plays” with his own mind, and little bit “crazy”, eventhough, he’s a Doctor in Mathematics and so on…………….

From the Beatifull Mind, we can get “ Blessing Indiguess”, which is “Nobody’s perfect”.

We hope that as a teacher candidate, we will apply all things above, just not in a class, but in our daily life which is related with learning process. Let we try !!!!!

Referensi :

DePorter, Bobbi; Reardon, Mark; and Nourie, Sarah Singer. 2000. Quantum Teaching : Mempratikkan Quantum Learning di Ruang-Ruang Kelas. Bandung : Kaifa.

Runtyani Irjayanti Putri

05301241035

Pend. Matematika Reg

CP : 085878988944