MULTICULTURAL PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS PHENOMENA OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATION

Multicultural means many cultures based on diverse ethnic. Phenomena of education are about the process, activities, method, etc that related with learning process. This article will tell you three different methods that are used in three different countries that are Indonesia, Thailand, and also Japan. Methods are the way teacher prepare and teach in class. The function of method is making student interest the lesson. Many ways have applied in many schools in Indonesia. But sometimes teacher cannot pack the lesson well. The effect is many students get sleepy, feel bored, or make their own discussion. Why it can be happened? Because teacher using an old method or traditional method. This is the based an old lesson (powerpoint of Allan White, Stadium General on 22^nd November 2011):

1.      Drill - quick answer questions recall past learning

2.      Using concrete material teacher demonstrates the skill. 

3.      Student does a similar problem on the board. 

4.      Students do a similar problem in their books.

5.      Students work on graded exercises, correcting as they go. Word problems with real life contexts.

6.      Conclusion - Graded exercises set for homework.

Many teachers in Indonesia use that method.

Now, teacher in Indonesia try to make a new more innovative method to attract the student. For example any teachers play the game before they teach. For making a perception about the material they make some conversations or a joke. So, first thing that student’s get is they more focus with the lesson. Then, teacher tells about the relation between that game and the material of the lesson. So, they will thing that with learning mathematics, they can make a game and try to show the game for another. They also think that mathematics so easy understands. Not only that, teacher may use a concrete object for example objects around them like table, window, door, leaf, box, and pencil to start the lesson about abstract object. It can make student think that mathematics is on our daily life.

Please look at teacher in Thailand making a lesson to their students. This method is according to the experience of Mr. Marsigit when he went to Thailand as an observer, presentator as a specialist researcher, and commentator. The problem of his observation is “How the student in first grade can count the 13 dragonflies”. Each student gets a paper. There are 13 dragonflies. Each student also gets more than 13 small yellow cubes. Teacher hope that cubes can help student counting the dragonflies. Teacher divided the student in small groups. It will happen some discussion each other. Any student uses the cubes. They cover one by one of dragonfly with the cubes. After finishing it they count the cubes and the found number 13. Another way is writing number on each dragonfly and the last number that is written is the sum of the dragonflies. After that, teacher asks them to explain the way they can find number 13. It can make the student more confidence with their selves.

The last is about the method of Japanese teacher. Look at the figure bellow.

The picture shows a lesson plan of Japanese teacher. What is a lesson plan? Lesson plan is a planning that is made by teacher before they teach in class. Lesson plan contain the step start from the beginning until the end of the lesson.

I followed the stadium general of Mr. Allan white on 22^nd November 2011. He said that people do not join the lesson can easy understand about the lesson because the teacher write the material from the beginning and they write in good order. So the advantage of making lesson plan is arranging the steps so teacher will not lose one thing of that lesson.

Teacher in Indonesia also make a lesson plan. But there are many differences between each other. This is the example of a lesson plan of Indonesian teacher.

Lesson plans of Indonesian teacher just write the framework. They maybe can improve but not possible they lose the object lesson too. It is different from Japanese student. Mostly they just talk about what they have written on that lesson plan on a class. But the advantage is they never lose the object material.

Now, we know about the three different methods of Indonesia, Thailand, and Japan. Each method has good and bad thing. We are as candidates of teacher have to be able to combine the method to get the best method for used in learning activities.