Mathematical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Related to Cognitive Stage of Senior High School Students Euis Eti Rohaeti (a*), Harry Dwi Putra (b), Restu Bias Primandhika (c)
a) IKIP Siliwangi, Jalan Terusan Jenderal Sudirman, Cimahi 40526, Indonesia.
b) IKIP Siliwangi, Jalan Terusan Jenderal Sudirman, Cimahi 40526, Indonesia.
c) IKIP Siliwangi, Jalan Terusan Jenderal Sudirman, Cimahi 40526, Indonesia.
Abstract
The goal of this study is to analyze relation among students mathematical understanding, reasoning abilities and their cognitive stage. The study is a descriptive-analytic research involving 414 eleventh-grade students (17,43 years old) from seven senior high schools. The instruments of this study are tests on mathematical understanding and reasoning abilities, the Longeot Test and the Test of Logical Thinking (TOLT). The study revealed there were two kinds attributes of the findings. First, based on subyects age (17,43 years old) there was different findings on students cognitive stages from the Piaget theory, there were many students did not reached formal operational stage yet, namely 21 % students were still on concrete stage, 34% students were still on transition stage, and only 45% were on formal stage. The second one, there were two kinds findings those were firm toward Piaget theory, those were: a) the higher subjects school classess the more number of formal subyects; b) on students mathematical understanding and reasoning abilities and mathematics formative and sumative tests, formal students attained higher grades than transition students, and transition students attained higher grades than concrete students.
Keywords: mathematical understanding, mathematical reasoning, Piaget theory of child cognitive development.
Topic: Teaching and Learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
