Some previous research has reported the effectiveness of RME in improving students' problem solving ability and cognitive achievement. This quasi experimental research, therefore, aimed to investigate the difference in students' mathematics cognitive achievement after implementing RME and conventional learning. The controlled treatment consisted of mathematics learning with RME equipped with snake and ladder board game and conventional learning. Instrument measuring students' cognitive achievement was developed by the researcher and validated by some experts prior to the research. The results of the t-test confirmed the difference in students' cognitive achievement both of the experimental and control group. The students who were taught with RME achieved better than the students who were involved in conventional learning. This research finding has suggested that it is important for teachers to empower students' intellectual ability through RME and games in order that meaningful and contextual learning can be generated. It is recommended that future research will explore the effect of RME on students' attitude, problem-solving ability, learning interest, or other variables related to mathematics learning.

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Learning that encourages the development of students’ creative thinking needs to be maximized since the level of primary education, including in the disadvantaged, outermost, and frontier regions that is referred to 3T areas (terdepan, terluar, tertinggal) in Indonesia is still categorized as underdeveloped that requires special attention. The main objective of this research was to diagnose students’ creative thinking skills for four components including fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration on students in the islands. The study was conducted on 161 students sitting in fourth grade from 6 elementary schools. The unique thing why this research was conducted because the research location was one of the Maluku Islands, which has abundant sea, air and land in terms of natural resources and is one of the areas that borders directly with Australia, so it can be predicted students’ creative thinking skills will be good. However, the analysis results report that students’ creative thinking skills were still very low and thus require comprehensive learning improvement to improve students’ creative thinking skills. It was hoped that good creative thinking skills of students will support better regional development in the future.

Th is study aimed to examine the eff ectiveness and practicality of modules used to teach the elementary students in Ambon, Moluccas, Indonesia and as a result generate a thematic module based on Numbered Heads Together (NHT) cooperative learning model. We adopted a 4D development model, which comprises four stages: defi ne, design, develop, and disseminate to produce the module. A survey and interviews were conducted at the defi ne stage and the results proved that the students used modules which only accommodate the traditional learning model. Th ese modules did not provide the students with activities which could help improve their thinking skills. At the defi ne stage, a thematic module was created and at the develop stage, it was revised based on suggestions from experts and the results of the fi eld try-outs. Th e use of the module showed a signifi cant improvement in student achievement. Th e fi nal step of the development of the module was performed by providing teachers with a training program on teaching resources and lesson study. Future research is expected to be empirical so that it can investigate the eff ect of the thematic module on students' higher order thinking skills.

Students have unique ways in managing the information in their learning process. VARK learning styles associated with memory are considered to have an effect on emotional intelligence. This quasi-experimental research was conducted to compare the emotional intelligence among the students having auditory, reading, and kinesthetic learning styles in elementary school in Ambon-Maluku. Emotional intelligence was measured by a questionnaire developed based on the theory of emotional intelligence according to Goleman (19 98). The learning style instrument was adapted from Fleming (2001). The results of this research show that learning styles have significant effect on emotional intelligence. Kinesthetic learners have a higher emotional intelligence than those of the auditory and reading learners, as much as 8.35% and 6.11% respectively. This research recommends that schools and teachers need to provide a conducive learning environment, including utilizing constructivist learning strategies which are appropriate with the development of the elementary school students. Further researches are required to investigate the changes of the students' learning styles along with their development into higher education levels, and its effect on their emotional intelligence.