Students’ Ability in Solving TIMSS Problems through Realistic Mathematics Education

Abstract

The abstract should summarize the contents of the paper in short terms, i.e. 150-250 words The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international-based assessment used to assess students' mathematical skills. Previous TIMSS results showed the Indonesian students' mathematics skills are alarming. Teachers should improve students' ability to deal with TIMSS problems with a proper teaching approach, one of which is Realistic Mathematics Education (RME). This study aimed to determine students' ability to solve TIMSS problems using the RME approach. This study employed a quantitative approach. The design used is pre-experimental, a one-shot case study. The study population was all students from 11 classes at one of the Islamic junior high schools in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The sample was selected by purposive sampling, resulting in 36 Year 8 students. The instrument was a test consisting of five long answer problems. Data were analyzed using the t-test. The results showed that student's ability to solve TIMSS problems after experiencing learning with the RME approach reached the advanced category. Therefore, the RME approach is a feasible alternative learning approach to improve students' mathematical abilities.