Secondary School Students’ Character Values in Mathematics

Nyimas Aisyah

, Meryansumayeka

, Umi Chotimah

, and Ira Marion

Mathematics Education Study Program, Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang, South Sumatra 30128 Indonesia

Civic Education Study Program, Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang, South Sumatra 30128 Indonesia

Keywords: Character Values, Hard Work Value, Curiosity Value, Communicative Value, Thorough Value.

Abstract: Character values in learning process are not only a responsibility of specific subjects such as civic education

and religious subject. Mathematics is one of compulsory subject that can inculcate character values in

secondary school students. This study is a qualitative research which aims to describe students' character

values in solving problems about linier equations. The research subjects were eighth grade students in

Palembang. The instrument used was students’ worksheet, observation, and interview which were analysed

descriptively. The results of data analysis showed that the character values that appear in linier equation

material are hard work, curiosity, communicative, and thorough. Those values appear because 3 topics in

linear equation material namely graph, gradient and line are quation are interrelated so that these cause

students to work hard in solving linear equation problems, actively to express their opinions in the discussion

and to ask each other because the steps of the student worksheet provided.

1 INTRODUCTION

Basically, the purpose of education is to foster

humans into true human beings who are noble

characters both thoughts and feelings or in other

words that it humanizes humans (Olim, 2010).One

way to shape the nature of self as an intelligent and

autonomous human being who are able to do the best

for themselves and the environment, is character

education (Hidayati, 2018). It is a source for soft

skills such as politeness, harmony and progress. This

is also the forerunner to obtain number of hard skills

such as vocational skills supporting self-confidence

and meaningfulness in life (Islami, 2016). Character

values should be instilled in students so that they are

able to apply in their lives both in their families,

schools, communities and countries so that they can

make a positive contribution to their environment

(Hamzah, 2017). Character education can be

integrated in learning on each subject including

Mathematics. Teaching mathematics is not only about

transfering mathematical knowlege but also building

and sculpting characters (Aisyah, 2014).

Many prior studies mentioned that character

values are important to be internalized into teaching

and learning activity (Marlina, 2016; Rahima, 2018;

Wahyu, 2018, Wisudariani, 2018). According to

(Hidayati, 2018), character values need to be

internalized since early childhood education.

Furthermore,in his study, Putra used traditional

games in non formal educational institution to

develop students’ character values (Putra, 2018). The

other one also used history of physics as media in his

instructional activities to internalize character values

in physics education (Hindarto, 2018). In

mathematics education, most of mathematics teachers

are infrequently aware of teaching values either

explicitly or implicitly although they mostly appear

implicitly in mathematical instructional activity

(Bishop, 1999). There are several character values

that can be developed through mathematics learning,

namely discipline, honesty, hard work, creative,

curiosity, independent, communicative and

responsibility (Aisyah, 2014). However, there were

still less studies describing what kind of character

values that appear in mathematics teaching and

learning. It makes a gap between teacher's

understanding and teacher's efforts to inculcate

character values to their students if teachers never

know what students’ character values that appear

when instructional activities happen. Thus, this study

purposed to give description about students’ character

values in mathematical instructional activities.

188

Aisyah, N., Sumayeka, M., Chotimah, U. and Marion, I.

Secondary School Students’ Character Values in Mathematics.

DOI: 10.5220/0009994800002499

In Proceedings of the 3rd Sriwijaya University International Conference on Learning and Education (SULE-IC 2018), pages 188-193

ISBN: 978-989-758-575-3

 2023 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. Under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

2 METHOD

This study is a qualitative research that aims to

describe secondary school students’ character values

through mathematics. It is a kind of studies that

investigate the quality of materials, activities,

situations or relationships (Edo, 2013). The study was

conducted in SMPN 17 Palembang which involved

32 eighth grade students.

The procedure in this study consists of 3 stages,

including the preparation stage, namely preparing and

compiling research instruments in the form of lesson

plan, student worksheet and observation sheet; the

implementation stage which is carried out 3 times;

and the data analysis stage. Data in this study were

obtained through student worksheet, observation, and

interview. Student worksheet is used to obtain any

students’ Hard Work value and Careful value.

Observation is used to obtain Hard Work value,

Curiosity value, Communicative value and Thorough

value. Interview is used to support data collected from

student worksheet and observation.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

At preparation stage, teacher designed lesson plan

and student worksheet for 3 meetings before having

her class. Then, at the next stage, teacher did

instructional activities based on lesson plan that was

made and gave students worksheet containing some

mathematical problems to students. The

mathematical topic studied for those 3 meetings was

about linear equation. During learning process,

students were observed to figure out what character

values that appear both when they work individual or

work in group. The instruments used were student

worksheet, observation and interview. At the next

stage, after data were collected then the data were

analysed. These followings are description about the

character values that appear when teaching and

learning linear equation happened in the class.

At the first meeting, students were given student

worksheet containing about drawing a graph of a

linear equation on the coordinate axis. Then, they

were asked to solve all of mathematical problems

given. Below is one of the students' work in the first

meeting.

Student’s work in Figure 1 shows that he did

calculation correctly. He could find out the

corresponding pairs of x and y by doing substitution

the value of x or y. The way students did calculation

without errors shows that there is a thorough value in

his performance.

Figure 1: Students’ work in calculating x and y values.

Figure 2: Students’ work in drawing graph of linear

equation.

Figure 2 shows that the student filled in all the

blanks in the table so that he could draw a graph based

on the requested equation.The number in the table, he

got from calculation showed in figure 1. From what

he did, it shows that there was hard work value in his

learning process since he tried to solve the problem

until he got the results.

Figure 3: Students N’s work on linear equation problem

However, there was also students who did not

work on all the problems given and did not find the

result. One of them is showed in figure 3. It shows

that hard work value did not appear in student N’s

learning process.

In the next meeting, students learn about

determining gradien of linear equation. Similar with

the first meeting, students were given some

Secondary School Students’ Character Values in Mathematics

189

mathematical problems related to gradien and were

asked to solve them.

Figure 4: Students’ work in determining gradien

From Figure 4, it can be seen that students were

careful in working on questions. In the red box the

student used mathematical symbols correctly and

performed the calculation operation properly and

correctly.This indicates that there was a thorough

value in their learning process because there was no

mistakes in their work.

igure 5: Students’ work in determining gradien

In Figure 5 , it shows that the student was not careful

in solving mathematical problem in the worksheet.

He made mistake in rewriting linear equation form.

Figure 6: Student D’s work on linear equation problem

Figure 6 shows that student D worked on all steps

on student worksheet to find the results even though

there are results that are not right. This shows that

there is a value of hard work on the student D because

he worked on all the problems given and not easily

gave up in solving each problem until he found the

results.

igure 7: Students’ work in linear equation problem

Students’ work on Figure 7 shows that the student

did not draw graph of linear equation in the

worksheet. This indicates that there was no hard work

value in his performance learning process.

After students learnt about drawing graph and

determining gradien of linear equation, they

discusssed about how to determine linear equation.

One of them was about determining linear equation if

two points were known.

Figure 8: Students D’s worksheet in determining linear

equation.

It can be seen from figure 8, in working on linear

equation problem, students need formulas to solve the

problem. Thus, students must find out the formula in

order to complete it. The emergence of curiosity is

supported by the result of the following interview.

Teacher: When you work on the worksheet, did

you open the book?

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Student D: Yes mam, I opened a math book, and

also when you explained on the board I

noted it in the notebook so I looked at

the notebook too.

Teacher: Did you also ask me too?

Student D: Yes Mam, sometimes I knew the formula

but I didn't know how to use it.

From interview above, it can be seen that student

D tried to find out how to solve the problems on the

student worksheet. Student D also used books as a

source to find out the information sought. In addition,

Student D also asked the teacher how to use the

formulas obtained. Based on all results of

observations and interviews described above, it can

be seen that student D raises the indicator of curiosity

values.

Figure 9: Students’ work in determining linear equation.

There as also students that had no curiosity value

in there learning process showed in figure 9. That

students did not solve mathematical problem in the

worksheet. It because they did not know the formula

of linear equation and did not ask teacher. It was also

supported by the following interview.

Teacher: Did you post question when you solved the

problem in this worksheet ?

Student N: No, I did not mam. I do not dare to do that.

Teacher: If so, did you ask a friend or open a book?

Subjek N: No, I did not.

According to interview above, student N did not

ask the teacher, friend or looked a mathematical book.

This indicates that student N did not try to find out

how to solve the problem . It shows that curiosity

value did not appear in his learning process.

Figure 10: Students’ work in determining linear equation.

In Figure 10, it can be seen that students was

correct in looking for results of operations. In

addition, they were also correct in writing

mathematical symbols. It can be said that students

were careful in solving the problem given.

Figure 11: Student P’s thorough value in determining linear

equation

Figure 11 shows that student P made mistake in

counting. Student P was not accurate in multiplying

so the result was wrong. This shows that thorough

value did not appear in his work in determining linear

equation.

From mathematical instruction activitiesdone

from the first meeting until the third meeting that

discussed about graph, gradien, and linear equation.

Character values that appeared in those mathematical

instruction activities were hard work value, thorough

value, curiousity value, and communicative value.

According to (Bishop, 1999), hard work means

the spirit of never giving up and following strong and

steady beliefs in achieving dreams and ideals.To see

the character value of hard work on linear equation

material, it can be seen from the students' work in

solving problems where students do not easily give

up in finding the correct results.

Thorough is an attitude in carrying out

investigation, analysing data, and drawing

conclusions (Aisyah, 2014). Thorough value on linear

equation material can be seen when students were

correct in using mathematical formulas, not careless

in performing operations, and not mistaken in writing

symbols or mathematical notation. The value of

thorough is important in mathematics because

mathematics is a subject that uses many symbols and

operations. Linear equation material is a material that

uses formulas and symbols such as gradient symbols,

gradient formulas, and linear equation.

Curiosity is an attitude and action of students who

have a strong desire to know, to explore, and to

investigate deeply and widely something that is

learned, seen, and heard and they tries to dig it not

only from one source (Aisyah, 2016). The value of

curiosity in linear equation material can be seen when

students ask the teacher or friend how to solve the

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191

problems in the linear equation material such as how

to draw graphs, how to find gradients, and how to find

linear equation. Besides asking the group of teachers

and friends, students also use some learning resources

or look back at the material that has been studied that

relates to linear equation such as algebraic material

and Cartesian coordinate material.

Communicative value is an attitude or action that

relates to other people in which there is easy-to-

understand communication so that a pleasant

atmosphere in collaboration (Chin, 2001). The value

of communicative characters in linear equation and

algebra operations can be seen when students actively

answer when the teacher asks, students actively

discuss with their friends in completing group

assignments and express their opinions on the issues

discussed.In teaching and learning linier equation,

teacher asked students to make groups to work on

student worksheet. Then, they discussed with their

group. When working on student worksheet, student

D discussed with his group friends. In addition,

student D also helped when his friend was in distress,

student D helped his friend to understand the steps of

student worksheet. Then, when teacher asked

students to come forward in discussing what was

done in the student worksheet, student D volunteered

to write or give an opinion about the issues discussed.

Based on all results of observations described, it can

be seen that student D raises communicative value

indicators.

There are 3 main topics in linear equation material

namely graph, gradient and linear equation. In the

matter of linear equations, geometry is studied with

algebra as a calculation tool. To study gradients,

students must master the arithmetic operations on

integers and fractions. To draw graphics, students

must master the location of points on the Cartesian

plane and the relation and function. To determine

linear equation, students need mastery of algebraic

operations and the completion of one variable linear

equations. From the results, it was found that in

studying linear equation , the character values that

often arises were work hard and communicative

value. This is because 3 topics in linear equation

material are interrelated so that there are so many

questions and more steps that must be done.This

causes students to work hard in solving linear

equation problems. In this case, students will actively

express their opinions in the discussion and ask each

other because the steps of the student worksheet work

on linear equation. In addition, linear equation

material is quite difficult because it deals with graphs,

cartesian fields, and algebra. Because cartesian and

algebraic coordinates have been studied before

entering the material of linear equation, students feel

familiar with linear equation material so that students

become more active in expressing their opinions.

5 CONCLUSIONS

In this study, it can be concluded that the material of

mathematics subjects affects character values that

appear. In the material of linear equation there were

four character-values that appear, namely the

character value of hard work, curiosity,

communicative and thorough. This happened since 3

topics in linear equation material namely graph,

gradient and linear equation are interrelated.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank to Universitas Sriwijaya that funded this

research through Hibah Unggulan Kompetitif in

2018. We also thank to Reno Sutriono who helped in

doing observation, teachers, and students who were

involved in this study.

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