PENERAPAN TEORI KONSTRUKTIVIS DALAM PEMBELAJARAN

Constructivism is the basis for thinking of a contextual approach, namely that knowledge is built not a set of facts, concepts, or rules that are ready to be remembered. Students must construct that knowledge and give meaning through real experience. Students need to be accustomed to solving problems, finding something useful for themselves, and struggling with ideas. The teacher will not be able to give all knowledge to students. Students must construct knowledge in their own minds. Knowledge is not static, but is constantly evolving and changing as students construct new experiences that force them to base themselves and modify previous knowledge. Learning must be packaged into the process of constructing knowledge rather than receiving knowledge. In the learning process, students build their own knowledge through active involvement in the learning and teaching process. Students become the center of activities, not teachers. Critical thinking is an attempt by someone to check the truth of information using the availability of evidence, logic, and awareness of bias. Critical thinking skills are the cognitive processes of students in analyzing systematically and specifically the problems faced, distinguishing these problems carefully and thoroughly, as well as identifying and reviewing information to plan problem solving strategies.

Secondary School Students Attitudes Towards Mathematics

This small-scale research study set out with two purposes. The first purpose of the study was to investigate the difference between public and private school students' attitudes towards mathematics at the secondary level in Quetta, Pakistan. Another aim of the study was to find out whether there is a difference between male and female students' attitudes towards mathematics. The population in this study consisted of (n = 387) students of ninth grade selected through stratified random sampling from twelve secondary schools. Data was collected through an adapted questionnaire 'Attitudes Toward Mathematics Inventory' (ATMI) (Tapia, 1996) that consisted of 40 statements arranged under four subscales (self-confidence, value, enjoyment, and motivation). Students were asked to indicate their degree of agreement with each statement in the ATMI, from 'strongly disagree' to 'strongly agree'. Data were analysed using the non-parametric equivalent of the independent t-test. The results of the study indicated that there were no significant differences between public and private school students' attitudes towards mathematics at the secondary level. Results at subscale level also revealed that no significant differences between the public and private systems were found except for the subscale 'value of mathematics'. Furthermore, the results of the study indicated that there were significant differences between male and female students, where male students reported to have a significantly high degree of positive attitude towards mathematics as compared to their female counterparts. Interestingly, results in each school type also revealed that male students claimed to have a more positive attitude towards mathematics than female students. The results of the study provide significant insights into male and female students' attitudes towards the discipline in both public and private secondary schools. Based on the results of the study, some recommendations have been put forward for policy and practice. Furthermore, the results of the study can be used as a baseline for further research.