Mathematics Learning Problems from Students

By : Naufal Ishartono

“Mathematics”, what your first impression when you heard this word? Number? Formula? Calculating? Measuring? Estimating? Or maybe frightening? Whatsoever your impression, the last impression is most happened in our society, especially in group of student. Some student feels so anxiety, afraid, even hate to face this science when they are having a class of mathematics or having mathematics examine. Most of them are gripping about how hard to understand the formula, how hard to solve the problems, and how hard to understand the information from their teacher. Because of this stigma, mathematics becomes a bogey for some group of student. So now the question is what’s wrong with this problem?
Actually this problem is as a result of the implementation of behaviorism system in our education in some years ago. The rests of this system still can be felt until right now. Some people still assume that mathematics is hard. Its caused by their experience of mathematics learning process in their school is based on behaviorism system. Punishment is most absolute way to change their behavior when they make a mistake or disobey the rule; most of the punishment is physical punishment. Beside of this case, some teachers are making the atmosphere of mathematics learning process be so appalling by giving a fearful expression in teaching. Psychologically, its makes the student is uncomfortable to receive the information even goes to stress level because they have a fearful feeling when they are learning mathematics. Because of this stigma, public are stereotyping that mathematics is hard and frightening.
Basically the goal of behaviorism is to change the behavior of student after they have an education. Its mean that after the students do learning process, their behavior can be better. Some positive things are the student is more discipline than before and be more respect to the teacher. But the negative effects of this system are appearing the fearful feeling of students; the student will be stiff; teacher centered is implemented in this system, so the initiative and creativity from the students is hindered; and doctrine is justifiable in this learning process, so it makes the critical thinking of students be hindered. So explicitly, behaviorism system is not relevant anymore in this democracy era. An era when every people have a right to express their mind and freedom to show their critical thinking especially for the students because in this system, the student’s logical/critical thinking is pressed by the teacher’s doctrine.
So the next mathematics teacher brings a big burden to erase the bad stigma of mathematics. Its can be done by:
1. Don’t be a monotone teacher, the teacher can use electronically media as a way to send the information to students (be innovative teacher).
2. If the student makes mistakes, the teacher must give an educative penalization and don’t use a mathematics components and physical punishment as a media to penalize the students.
3. Make the atmosphere of mathematics learning process be comfortable by understanding the characteristic and psychology of the students.
4. Make a friendly face (keep smile) and a good communication to make the situation of mathematics learning process is comfortable.
5. Change the system from teacher centered to be student centered, because it can increase the creativity, independence, and knowledge of student.

The Psychology Questions in Mathematics Education from The Curiosity Mind

By : Naufal Ishartono

Education basically is to humanize the human being. It’s mean that in education process, it has to bring the people to the brightness future. But unfortunately, the main part of education subjects i.e. mathematics, becoming bogey for some part of society. Though, mathematics is a science that has a big affect in human life. So this is an obligation for the teachers to make perception of mathematics be better.

In this case, the implementation of psychology of mathematics education has a big role. That’s why the teacher must make the atmosphere of mathematics learning process be comfortable. So they must learn about Psychology of Mathematics Education.

In learning of science, there will be appeared so many questions about part of the nature of the science it self. It is caused by our desire to more recognize and understand about the science, without exception when we learn science of psychology especially in mathematics education. In psychology we’ll learn not only about the human behavior, but also we’ll learn about the nature of soul, spirit, motivation, characteristics of humankind, attitude, and so on. In this learning process, our critical thinking is needed. It is caused without our critical thinking; we’ll not be able to comprehend the essences of this science.

In here I’ll try to present the questions of my friend’s (Novia Dwi Ristanti) curiosity mind about Psychology of Mathematics Education and I will present my answer/explanation of the questions.

Questions:

1. The study about psychology is really wide. What the limitation of psychology?

2. Why we have to learn psychology in mathematics learning? What the advantages?

3. On what way so we can to recognize the cognitive level from the students? What the relation whit psychology?

4. What kinds of psychology factor that is influenced on the students when was doing learning process?

5. Give the comparison about the general psychology and psychology in mathematics learning!

6. Why the learning theory is included in psychology?

Answer:

1. Psychology is limited by the region of implementation of the psychology it self, that are:

a. Psychology of Education

Psychology of education is the improvement of development psychology and social psychology, so, almost the theories in development psychology and social psychology is used in education psychology.

b. Psychology of School

Psychology of school tries to make a comfortable situation for the student to improve their academic ability, socialize, and emotion.

c. Psychology of Industry and Organization

Psychology of industry is focusing on developing, evaluating, and predicting the performance of a work that is done by individual, than psychology of organization is learned on how the organization influence and interact with the members.

d. Psychology of Clines

Psychology of clines is a psychology studies and also the application of psychology in understanding, preventing, and recovering the psychology individual to normal sill.

e. Artificial Psychology

The application of psychology that is correlated with the interaction among the human and machine to reduce the human error when interact with machine.

2. Basically the advantages when we learn psychology is we will understand about our character, our situation, and our behavior, so we can control our emotion and change it to positive things. Actually it can be implemented into all part, especially mathematics, because in mathematics learning process, our stress level is really tested, therefore science of psychology can do it.

3. The student cognitive level can be investigated from how often the student active in learning process; it could be plus point in valuating of learning. The correlation is the student cognitive level is influencing the psychology of student that is motivation level.

4. Factors of psychology when the students learning something are motivation, perception, association, and emotion.

5. Basically the psychology I mathematics learning is part of general understanding of psychology. The distinction only the space of observation. Psychology of mathematics learning has smaller space than general psychology.

6. It is caused the learning theory is a result of soul symptom research, so the collections of soul symptom research in form of learning theory become science of soul (psychology).