Combining Ethnomathematics, Thematics, and Connectedness in a Mathematics Learning Model for Elementary School

Abstract

Background: Curriculum renewal requires teachers to always innovate in learning. The teacher can combine various ways as long as it suits the needs and characteristics of learning. The trivium curriculum in ethnomathematics contains the concepts of literacy, matheracy, and technoracy which can be combined with thematic and connected approaches. Ethnomathematics can be used in learning because it contains contextual mathematical concepts that exist in culture. The thematic approach can make students learn several subjects at once in the appropriate theme. Connectedness can make students learn several concepts at once in a subject. The combination can make students learn many things at one time in an integrated and meaningful way because it is based on the culture they know.

Objectives: This research is aimed at developing a learning model that combines the trivium curriculum in ethnomathematics, thematic approaches, and connectedness in mathematics. In addition, research was also conducted to determine the quality of the developed model.

Methods: The development is carried out using the Plomp model which is limited to four phases (without implementation). The respondents consisted of 15 elementary school lower grade teachers as resource persons for problem identification, two lecturers and two elementary school principals as expert evaluators and practitioners, one teacher and ten 3^rd grade students at an elementary school in Banyuwangi as pilot respondents. Data collection was done by interviews, observation, tests, and questionnaires. Data analysis is a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods.

Results: The results of the initial investigation show that learning, especially in the lower grades of elementary school, still requires strengthening basic literacy, combines with play activities, learning media, and mother tongue assistance to understand students’ learning concepts. The support of several education experts is used to strengthen the results of the investigation so that a learning model can be designed that includes syntax, social systems, reaction principles, support systems, and the impact of learning. Development is carried out based on a design made to produce a learning model along with learning tools. Learning tools are developed by the existing culture in the development area, namely Banyuwangi Indonesia. After the development results are declared valid, practical, and effective by experts and practitioners ( , , , and ), then a trial is carried out to determine the implementation of the learning model. The results show that the learning model developed is practical and effective in being tested in learning ( , and good criteria on IA).

Conclusions: The development resulted in a new model called the Ethnomathematics-Thematic-Connected (ETC) model. based on the assessment of experts and practitioners, the ETC model is declared valid, practical, and effective. Based on the experimental practice, the ETC model is stated to be practical and effective. So that the ETC learning model can be said to have good quality and can be used for learning on a larger scale. In addition, the ETC model can also be used in areas other than Banyuwangi by using a cultural base according to the learning area.