Overcoming the difficulty of understanding systems of linear equations through learning ethnomathematics

Abstract

Middle school students have difficulty in understanding the system of linear equations. Ethnomathematics learning was one alternative to overcome it. The purpose of this study was to describe ethnomathematics learning techniques to overcome students' difficulties in understanding systems of linear equations. This research was part of development research. This is part of student analysis. The subjects of this study were 38 junior high school students in the Kota Bengkulu. The application of ethnomathematics learning was given to the subject. The instrument of this study was the researchers themselves with interview guides and observation sheets. It was an interview about the ability of students to understand systems of linear equations. Data were analyzed qualitatively with fixed comparison techniques. The results of this study are the difficulty of students understanding the system of linear equations can be overcome through learning ethnomathematics. The horizontal mathematization used the culture of the fishermen of Bengkulu people "bundled fish, rice as small, relaxed". This culture makes it easy for students to recall prerequisite concepts, making it easier for students to do interconnection between concepts. This makes it easy for students to achieve the principles of elimination, substitution and mixtures. The conclusion of this study is that learning ethnomatematics about Bengkulu fisherman culture can overcome the difficulties of students in understanding the system of linear equations.