Improving external mathematical connections and students' activity using ethnomathematics

Abstract

Most students repute that mathematics is a difficult subject and has no connections in real life. It makes students' external mathematical connections to be low, students less active in learning process, and it affected on the low achievement of students in mathematics. Ethnomathematics is one of the attempts to overcome it. Indonesia is a multiculture country and the people usually do anything in daily life influenced by their culture. Ethnomathematics is an instruction approach that makes a connection between mathematics concepts dan culture. The purpose of this study is to conduct experiment by applying ethnomathematics to the eighth grade students of junior secondary school in Tegalluar Village. The method that implemented in this study is experiment. The result of this study shows that students' achievement using ethnomathematics is better than their average achievement using direct instruction. Conclusion of this study is ethnomathematics can improve students' external mathematical connections and students' activity in mathematics learning.