Gifted students in solving HOTS mathematical problems

Abstract

The curriculum currently being implemented in Indonesia has emphasized the importance of students' high-order thinking skills (HOTS). However, based on data that out of 35 high school mathematics teachers who are pursuing Masters in Mathematics Education Study Program at Universitas Negeri Malang (UM), there is more than 50 percent of teachers saying that they still do not understand what teachers need to do to teach HOTS. The teachers even do not know how to conduct student assessments in solving HOT problems. In conducting an assessment, it is necessary to study how students solve HOT problems. Furthermore, students can be categorized as gifted students and ordinary students. Focus on this research in gifted students. The purpose of this study is to examine how gifted students solve HOT mathematics problems. This study is descriptive qualitative research. Data was collected through documentation and semi-structured interviews. Participants consisted of three gifted seventh grade students. The results showed that gifted students could make mathematical models of the problems given. Students have the ability to think creatively by showing strategies in connecting ideas, changing ideas, producing solutions, and unique solutions to new challenges encountered in the given problem.