Analysis of Students’ Comprehension of Mathematical Concepts in the Indonesia-Timor Leste Border Region

Source abstract

The ability to understand mathematical concepts is one of the key skills that students must possess in mathematics learning; however, in reality, many students still struggle to understand and apply mathematical concepts correctly. This study aims to describe students’ ability to understand mathematical concepts in the Indonesia–Timor-Leste border region. This study employed a qualitative descriptive approach and was conducted at SMK Negeri 2 Belu. The research subjects were 25 students in Year 11 of the Computer Science program, and three students representing the high, medium, and low categories of mathematical concept comprehension ability were purposively selected. Data collection techniques were carried out through a mathematical concept comprehension test, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis techniques included data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions, whilst data validity was tested using triangulation. The research findings indicate that pupils’ ability to understand mathematical concepts falls into three categories: high, moderate, and low. Pupils in the high category can understand problems, construct mathematical models, determine solution strategies, and systematically explain the reasoning behind each step. Pupils in the moderate category can generally solve problems correctly but still make some errors due to a lack of attention to detail and an insufficient understanding of the concepts. Meanwhile, students in the low category have difficulty understanding problems, constructing mathematical models, and determining solution steps. The research results also indicate that most students are better able to solve problems procedurally than to understand mathematical concepts in depth. Therefore, more innovative, contextual, and student-centered learning is required to improve students’ mathematical conceptual understanding in border regions.