PENGARUH PENDEKATAN KONTEKSTUAL TERHADAP KEMAMPUAN PEMAHAMAN KONSEP MATEMATIKA SISWA

Abstract

Mathematical conceptual understanding is a fundamental component in students’ logical and analytical thinking processes. However, various studies have shown that many students still struggle to comprehend basic mathematical concepts and tend to memorize formulas without understanding their meanings. This study aims to investigate the differences in students' conceptual understanding of mathematics between those who are taught using a contextual approach and those who receive conventional instruction. This research employed a quantitative experimental method with a post-test only control group design. The sample was selected through simple random sampling, consisting of class 8A as the experimental group using the contextual approach and class 8F as the control group using conventional teaching methods. Data were collected through a post-test in the form of an essay test and analyzed using normality test, homogeneity test, and independent t-test to determine the differences in mathematical conceptual understanding between the two groups. Students who received contextual learning achieved an average score of 82.679, while those who received conventional learning scored an average of 73.25. The t-test results indicated that , suggesting a significant difference in conceptual understanding between the two classes. Based on the average scores obtained, students taught through the contextual approach demonstrated better conceptual understanding than those taught using conventional methods.

Keywords: contextual approach, conceptual understanding, mathematics, junior high school