How Do Assimilation and Accommodation Occur in The Translation Process of Representation?

Abstract

This study aims to describe the translation process of representation in mathematics education students’ solving of mathematical problems in the form of graphs. The translation process involves four activities: unpacking the source, preliminary coordination, constructing the target, and determining equivalence. The study was conducted on 65 students who took Calculus at three different universities in East Java Province, Indonesia. Research data in the form of answers to mathematical problems, video recordings, and interviews were analyzed based on the activity of the translation process within the accommodation and assimilation framework. Based on data analysis, the characteristics of the representation translation process are obtained in three categories, namely the symbolic-algebraic translation process (SA), the verbal translation process (V), and the symbolic-conceptual translation process (SC). When “unpacking the source” and “preliminary coordination,” SA looks difficult, so it changes the equations and graphs for completion several times. V verbally smoothly performs four translational process activities. However, subject V has doubts about the graph made after reading the question back. SC uses graph equations until it finds a solution in the form of a graph. However, after reflection, SC resolves the problem with the theory of monotony. It is important for the future teacher to understand the translation process of representation, especially given the difficulty students have solving mathematical problems. Prospective teachers are expected to be able to develop meaningful learning with various forms of representation so that students can connect their concepts to problem solving.