Study based on the early mathematical ability of elementary student self-efficacy through the concrete-pictorial-abstract approach

Abstract

Self-efficacy (SE) can encourage students to complete their assignments. The research intended to investigate the achievement of students' self-efficacy by guiding concrete-pictorial-abstract (CPA) based on early mathematical ability (EMA). The research utilized quasi-experimental methods in learning mathematics regarding the volume of cubes and rectangular prisms. The population were all fifth-grade students of elementary schools in Purwakarta, Subang, Karawang, and Bekasi. Samples were 119 participants in Karawang. The instruments applied were questionnaires, tests, and daily journals. The prerequisite materials related to the volume of cubes and rectangular prisms are a topic about arithmetic calculation, square root, flat area, unit length, and problem-solving. Study's result informed that there was no significant difference in the achievement of students' self-efficacy through CPA and conventional mentoring in the high and moderate EMA groups. There was a significant difference in the achievement of students' self-efficacy in the low group given CPA and conventional guidance. This finding gave birth to a strategy of developing self-efficacy in elementary schools using the CPA approach, especially the use of concrete objects around students through mentoring activities in schools, considering that self-efficacy makes it easy to solve problems especially when it comes to students with low initial abilities.