From Traditional Teaching Into Progressive Teaching In Mathematics Education

Mathematics education has some problems in improving the quality of learners. To overcome these problems we can change traditional teaching into progressive teaching. There are few levels on teaching and learning, which are: 

1. Spiritual level, In this level there are factors which support this level that are : spiritual, future vision,  know about good or bad, and way of life. 
2. Normatif  level, In this level there are factors which support this level that are : low, decree, education system, and paradigm of education. 
3. Formal level, In this level there are factors which support this level that are : curriculum, syllabi. 
4. Material level, In this level there are factors which support this level that are : class, teacing content, student, book, building and student.

Traditional teaching and progressive teaching have large differences. In traditional teaching, teacher base on expository method with cycle : to explain, to give example, give problem, and give task classically.

In traditional teching Student controlled by teacher and teacher is teaching, It makes student passive and between teacher and students have a passive interaction.

In progressive teaching use variation method, can choose one or more method dynamically and flexible :  (1) Exposition Method, (2) Discussion Method, (3) Training Method and give task, (4) Invention Method, (5) Problem Solving Method, (6) Using props. In progressive teaching, teaching means develop,  construct their own knowledge.  Students don’t depend on teacher and teacher is facilitated. It makes students be an active learner and between teacher and students have an active interaction.

            In view of traditional teaching, it have different student, but the traditional teaching give same time, same mathematics, same facilities, same objects, and same result. It makes student can construct and develop their own knowledge. But in view of progressive teaching, it has different student, different time, different mathematics, different facilities, different objects, and different result. It makes student can construct, build, and develop their own knowledge.

According to Plowden Report (1976) in (Delamont, 1987, p. 48) from Dr. Marsigit, M.A, in “Pembelajaran Matematika Berdasarkan Kurikulum Berbasis Kompeensi di SMK” describe the characteristics of traditional teaching and  the caracteristics of progressive teaching as shown below:

	Characteritics of Traditional Teaching	Characteristics of Progressive Teaching
1.	Separated subject matter	Integrated subject matter
2.	Teacher as distributor of knowledge	Teacher as guide to educational experiences
3.	Passive pupil role	Active pupil role
4.	Pupils have no say in curriculum planning	Pupils participate in curriculum planning
5.	Accent on memory, practice and rote	Learning predominantly by discovery techniques
6.	External rewards used, for example, grades, i.e. extrinsic motivation	External rewards and punishments not necessary i.e. intrinsic motivation
7.	Teachers give highest priority to academic attainment	Teachers give high priority to social and emotional development
8.	Regular testing	Little testing
9.	Accent on competition	Accent on cooperative group work
10.	Little emphasis on creative expression	Accent on creative expression

Become Good Mathematics Teacher

 

When we are learn we must feel happy, thanks giving because everything we have it’s a present from God.

But it’s not enough we needs to empower ourself and make sure that we’re on the right track with competent, talent and our pretension. Because thus we can achieve our goal to become good mathematics teacher.

To become good mathematics teacher we need to understand inside ourself and outside ourself.

Of those to knowing about the power and the weakness in order that don’t be blind and empty.

Not blind, it’s mean that we must know the purpose of our learning and comprehend the science.

And not empty, it’s mean that we must fill our life with science, knowledge, experience, and thanks to God.

     To become good mathematics teacher we must transform from the younger people to be older people.

The characteristics of younger people and the older people is so different, so we must to transform our charasteristics from the younger people’s characteristics become older people’s characteristics.

The ways of thinking young people and the older people is different too.

The ways of thinking of young people it’s simple and refer to real object.

whereas the ways of tinking older people more complex than the young people and the older people refer to thing think.

     We as the student and aspirant of the mathematics teacher must aware of the characteristics of the older people.

We can’t always depend on our lecturer, and we must doing something base of understanding.

Now we can use many source of learning, such as internet to download or search some information, video, tape recorder, book, etc.

     So, lets learn  in earnest to become a good mathematics teacher.

                  

Source : Lecture from Dr. Marsigit M.A

    

Indeep thinking about mathematics education.

In this first start second semester of mathematics education program, we learn calculus, algebra, trigonometry, etc and continuously.

The higher semester of mathematics education program the amounts get lesson subject of pure mathematics.

And the questions is what the different between mathematics educaton program and mathematics program?

Mathematics education program have background mathematics education from semester 1 until semester 6.

Mathematics education for young student in pre elementary or in the kindergarten, elementary school,junior high school, senior high school and high school of university.

We should feel happy to learn mathematics, because if we happy we can learn with high motivation to reach our idea. And we must make the student understand where is their position between the older people and the younger people.

There is different between older and younger people in learn mathematics.

The older people have many experiences than the younger people about learn mathematics. So, the younger people is novice and the older people is experiences.

Psychologically, the different between older people and younger people that is :

The younger people think mathematics which concrete material from daily and the older people think mathematics which abstract noun (think things).

To abstract is take certain of charateristic which want we learning.

Older people think about the abstract materials or think things wich consider all of the exist characteristic is perfect.

For example: a line is  perfectly straight, which have no width.

Ability of thinking younger people and older people is different. The older people have higher ability of thinking than the younger people.

For example: from the number below the older people and the younger people have different thinking.

 2 7

For the younger people, 2 is bigger than 7

for the older people, 2 is always smaller than 7 because the older people don’t think about the shape but about the value.

Ebbut Straker (1995)  defines the following school mathematics:

Mathematics is the search activity patterns and relationships

·         Gave students the opportunity to conduct discovery and investigation to determine patterns of relationships.

·         Provide an opportunity for students to perform experiments premises in various ways.

·         Encourage students to discover the sequence, difference, comparison, grouping, etc.

·         Encourage students to draw general conclusions.

·         Help students understand and find a relationship between understanding one another.

Mathematics is investigation of activity

·         Encourage the initiative and provide an opportunity to think     differently.

·         Encourage curiosity, the desire to ask, the ability to refute and ability estimates.

·         Appreciate the unexpected discovery as beneficial rather than take it as a mistake.

·         Encourage students to discover the structure and design of mathematics.

·         Encourage students to appreciate the discovery of other students.

·         Encourage students to think reflexive.

·         Does not recommend the use of a particular method.

Mathematics is problem solving activities

·         Provide an environment that stimulates learning mathematics problem.

·         Help students to solve mathematics problem using his own way.

·         Help students find the information needed to solve mathematics problems.

·         Encourage students to think logically, consistently, systematically and develop a system of documentation / records.

·         Develop the ability and skills to solve problems.

·         Helps students learn how and when to use various visual aids / media mathematics education such as: term, calculator, etc.

Mathematics is a means of communication

·         Encourage students to recognize the nature mathematics.

·         Encourage students to make examples of the nature of mathematics.

·         Encourage students to explain the nature of mathematics.

·         Encourage students to justify the need for mathematics activities.

·         Encourage students to discuss mathematics problems.

·         Encourage students to read and write mathematics.

·         Respect the student’s mother tongue in talking about mathematics.

The character of student learn are:

·         Student learn mathematics effectively if student have good motivation and good preparation.

·         Student learn mathematics individually.

·         Student learn mathematics incolaboration with others.

·         Student learn mathematics in context.

Source :Lecture from Dr. Marsigit, M.A