Developing Mathematics Teaching

Commonly, there are two teaching style of a teacher, traditional and progressive teaching. Based on four main levels, we can find the differerences between teaching style of a teacher. There are spiritual level, normative level,formal level and material level.

First, spiritual level. In this level, there are spiritual, future, vision, goal and ways of life. Based on spiritual level, in traditional teaching, education is an obligation. The student study because of an obligation, not because of their awareness. Whereas in progressive teaching, education is a need for them.

Second, normative level. This level showed about law, education system, decree, paradigm of education and theory of education. In traditional teaching, the paradigm of education is teacher directed transfering knowledge to the student. Student as empty vessel who passive, only receive knowledge from teacher. Now, there is a reform from traditional teaching to progressive teaching with the new paradigm. In progressive teaching, the paradigm of education is to construct the student’s knowledge. In this teaching style, the student as a seed who will grow on their ways .While the teacher is facilitate the students, like a farmer as a facilitator of seeds growing. The last result of traditional teaching is fixed by National Examination whereas in progressive teaching use classroom base assessment or portofolio and based on the process of study.

Third, formal level. This level presented about books, curriculum and syllaby. In Indonesia, there are traditional teaching curriculum in 1975 and 1980. Now, we have semi progressive curriculum, it is KTSP (Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan), and this curriculum actually can be reform traditional curriculum to progresive curriculum.

The last, material level. This level explained about condition of class,physical building, teach content, and students. Traditional teaching use one method, it is expository method. Teacher just explain, give example and task. While progressive teaching use various method and it is contextual with student and material. Traditional teaching just text book oriented while in progressive teaching it is develop by teacher with appropriate the competence of student.

That’s all the differences between traditional teaching and progressive teaching. From the explanation above, we can conclude that progressive teaching is better than traditional teaching.

Being a Good Student of Mathematics Education

As a student of mathematics education we should be very happy and thanks to God cause it is not many younger people that can study in mathematics education especially at Yogyakarta State University. So, we need to empower ourself. Don’t be disappointed, we must wake up. Make sure that we are on the right track supporting by competence, facilities and family that support us to gain our goal to become a good mathematics teacher.

We need understand inside (strength and weakness) and outside of ourself. If we didn’t understand, we could be blind and empty. Blind about our goal and our knowledge. Empty about the way to fullfil the blind. Life can be define as character. It means we have to understand our situation and our characteristics.

We must aware that we have grown, not a child anymore, so we should have transformation from young people to an adult people. The differences sbetween younger and older student is the different thingking of mathematics. Adult, doing anything based on understanding, not based on other influence. As an adult student, we must not much depend on our lecturer. Knowledge can be studied from everything and everywhere. For example, now, there are many variations sourches of teaching learning of mathematics in english. We can download video from teaching learning mathematics.

Teacher need some preparation before learning process and make something different from traditional teacher. There are Lesson Plan and Student Worksheet. According to Mr. Marsigit’s paper, in progressive teaching, teacher aware that there are relation between objective and subjective knowledge. The process of new knowledge is in social range or individual range. New knowledge of mathematics in social range have objective character and in individual range have subjective character. So, social interaction in mathematics teaching is important to approach subjective knowledge into objective knowledge.