Students’ thinking: Arithmetic in solving a mathematical problem

Abstract

The students in secondary school have difficulties making the transition from arithmetic to algebra. In order to obtain the students approach while solving the problem, the students are given a mathematical problem that can be solved by using arithmetic or algebraic. This study is implemented in class grade 7, and they have learnt the introduction of algebra. This research was using a qualitative method with description design. Six students who are a participant in this study have excellent communication and give different strategies while solving the problems. The students are given a mathematical test problem, and then the students are interviewed based on their answer sheet in the test in order to get in-depth information from their strategies. From the result of students are given, we acquire that the arithmetical approach is dominated in their strategy to solve the problem. Many of the students do not realize the using of the quantities of the unknown in that problem. Arithmetic is the approach that accomplished to coverage the students to solve the problem and the students just do numbers and operation, and focus in numeric answer. Most of the student in a secondary school in seventh grade is direct think arithmetically than algebraically.