The Effectiveness of The Mathematics in Context Approach on Students’ Problem-Solving Ability

Pembelajaran matematika memerlukan pendekatan relevan untuk mengembangkan kemampuan pemecahan masalah kompleks. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengevaluasi efektivitas pendekatan Mathematics in Context (MiC) terhadap kemampuan pemecahan masalah matematika siswa kelas V di tiga sekolah dasar Kabupaten Pinrang. Penelitian dilakukan sebanyak 17 pertemuan menggunakan bahan ajar dan panduan guru yang telah divalidasi ahli. Data dikumpulkan melalui instrumen pretes dan postes yang mengukur lima aspek pemecahan masalah: analisis, desain, eksplorasi, implementasi, dan verifikasi. Hasil analisis menunjukkan adanya perbedaan rata-rata kemampuan siswa yang signifikan sebelum dan sesudah perlakuan di ketiga sekolah. Berdasarkan skor N-Gain, pendekatan MiC terbukti cukup efektif meningkatkan kemampuan pemecahan masalah siswa; aspek analisis, desain, dan eksplorasi berada pada kategori sedang, sementara aspek implementasi dan verifikasi berada pada kategori rendah. Temuan ini menyimpulkan bahwa pendekatan MiC efektif dalam membantu siswa memahami dan merancang strategi penyelesaian, namun kurang optimal dalam meningkatkan kemampuan prosedur penyelesaian (implementasi) dan verifikasi jawaban. Mathematics education aims to cultivate students' ability to solve complex mathematical problems, necessitating the use of relevant pedagogical approaches. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Mathematics in Context (MiC) approach on the mathematical problem-solving skills of fifth-grade students across three elementary schools in Pinrang Regency. The intervention was conducted over seventeen sessions using MiC-based instructional materials and teacher guides validated by experts. Data were collected via pre-test and post-test instruments measuring five dimensions of problem-solving: analysis, design, exploration, implementation, and verification. Analysis revealed a significant difference in mean problem-solving scores before and after the MiC intervention across all schools. N-Gain analysis results indicate that the MiC approach is moderately effective in enhancing student performance; specifically, the analysis, design, and exploration aspects reached the "medium" category, while implementation and verification remained in the "low" category. These findings suggest that while the MiC approach effectively supports students in understanding and designing problem-solving strategies, it is less optimal in improving procedural execution and solution verification.