Student’s Anomaly Reasoning in Solving Number Pattern in terms of Gender

Abstract

Relational reasoning plays an important role in helping students to understand mathematical concepts. The student's ability to distinguish patterns or objects is one of the understandings of mathematical concept indicators. The anomaly dimension is part of the relational reasoning that students need to be able to determine a pattern or object in mathematics. This study aims to reveal the student's relational reasoning ability of anomaly dimension in solving number pattern problems in terms of gender differences. The subjects of this study are 52 grade-8 students in one of Muhammadiyah Junior High Schools in Kartasura. We used two similar problems on number patterns to disclose the student's ability to identify the pattern deviation in solving problems. The two selected students had relatively similar in their mathematical abilities. The finding showed that female subject met the three anomaly dimension indicators: identification, interpretation, and adaptation. Conversely, male student cannot fulfill the anomaly indicators. He cannot recognize pattern deviation in the formed mathematical model. He also failed to identify a pattern different from the two problems. Although the subjects interviewed were limited, the finding provided the insightful into the differences in anomaly reasoning abilities in male and female students