Teachers' Belief in Ethnomathematics-Based Numeracy Learning Scale: A Rasch Model Analysis

Abstract

Teachers’ beliefs are a teacher's subjective perspective about teaching practices in the classroom, which influence the actions and decisions that will be taken in facilitating student learning activities. A scale can serve as an effective tool for assessing teachers' beliefs in ethnomathematics-based numeracy learning. This study aims to evaluate teachers' belief in ethnomathematics-based numeracy learning scale. The data analysis will employ the Rasch model and involve 75 mathematics teachers from junior high schools in Central Java. The teachers' belief in an ethnomathematics-based numeracy learning scale was initially subjected to content validation by three experts. The cumulative percentage outcomes are according to the four dimensions, namely teachers' beliefs about numeracy, teachers' beliefs about the role of ethnomathematics in numeracy learning, teachers' beliefs about ethnomathematics-based numeracy teaching, and teachers' beliefs about ethnomathematics-based numeracy learning, amount to 90.28% for a total of 20 items. Following this, the researchers utilized the Rasch model analysis to investigate teachers' belief in an ethnomathematics-based numeracy learning scale. The analysis involved the use of ten measurement features. Based on the results, it was deemed imperative to remove 30 individuals to maintain adherence to the predetermined criteria. Subsequently, the data obtained from the remaining 45 participants was analyzed using the Rasch model. The study of 20 teachers’ belief items yielded three items, necessitating the exclusion of the privacy construct. The results indicate that the 17 questions possess robustness, validity, and reliability, rendering them suitable for assessing teachers' beliefs in ethnomathematics-based numeracy learning.