Identification of the Difficulties of Middle School Students in Understanding the Mixed Operations of Integer Ulfa Najiya Hanifa (a*), Sufyani Prabawanto (a), Siti Fatimah (a)
(a) Departemen Pendidikan Matematika, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Jl. Dr. Setiabudi No. 229, Bandung 40154, Indonesia
*ulfanajiiya1[at]upi.edu
*sufyani[at]upi.edu
*sitifatimah[at]upi.edu
Abstract
The difference between the students concept and the conceptual substance has led to a misconception regarding the mixed operations of integer. This study aims to discribe a student understanding and to identify learning difficulties related to the mix operation of integers. The study was a qualitative study with case study design. The subject of the study were VII greaders of a junior high school in Bandung. The data were taken from test, interview, and curriculum document. From the results of the study, it can be concluded that students have difficulties in understanding concept of integers and its operation, especially those related to the mixed operations of integers. Based on the data analysis, it can be showed that some students recognize numbers only as a formal symbol in mathematics. Numbers for them are something abstract so that they have difficulty when they present these numbers in concrete the other result is students have difficulty in using mixed operations of integer.
