Students' Learning Obstacles in Relational Thinking on Arithmetic, Algebra, and Linear Equations in One Variable

Abstract

Various studies on relational thinking have been conducted, but none have explicitly examined students’ learning obstacles from the ontogenetic, epistemological, and didactical perspectives. This study aims to identify and describe students’ learning obstacles in relational thinking within arithmetic, algebra, and linear equations in one variable. This study employs a qualitative approach guided by Miles and Huberman’s framework, which involves data collection, data reduction, data display, and drawing and verifying conclusions. The study used tests and interviews to gather information. Data were collected in August 2023 from 32 students of 8^th grade at SMPN 17 Tangerang Selatan. Analysis revealed that students encountered ontogenetic, didactical, and epistemological obstacles when solving mathematics problems requiring relational thinking. The ontogenetic obstacle manifested as a lack of confidence in their own mathematical abilities. The didactical obstacle arose from the use of instructional materials and learning designs that did not facilitate development of relational thinking ability. The epistemological obstacle was evident in students’ failure to understand arithmetic and algebraic operation rules, inability to construct mathematical models from everyday situations, and misinterpretation of the equals sign (“=”) as an operational command rather than a symbol of equality. Teachers therefore require additional learning resources to reinforce students’ understanding of the concept of equality. Future research should focus on developing and evaluating instructional designs specifically aimed at enhancing students’ relational thinking ability.