JOURNAL OF WORLD SCIENCE

https://jws.rivierapublishing.id/index.php/jws
Volume 3 No. 3 March 2024 P-ISSN: 2828-8726
E-ISSN: 2828-9307

DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL THEORY ON PARALLELOGRAM

TOPICS BASED ON RME TO IMPROVE MATHEMATICAL PROBLEM-SOLVING
SKILLS

Endah Zulfah1, Ahmad Fauzan2, I Made Arnawa3

Universitas Negeri Padang, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia1,2
Universitas Andalas, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia3

endahzulfah217@gamil.com1, ahmadfauzan@fmipa.unp.ac.id2, arnawa1963@gmail.com3

ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research is to develop a local instructional theory on parallelogram material and examine
the improvement of students' mathematical problem-solving skills by using local instructional theory. This
research uses the Design Research method, which uses the Gravemeijer and Cobb development model and
the Plomp model. The Plomp development model has three stages, namely, preliminary research, prototyping
phase, and assessment phase. The research subjects were seventh-grade students of MTs N 5 Jambi City. Data
analysis techniques in this study used Quantitative data were obtained through questionnaires, while
qualitative data were obtained through observations, interviews, field notes, and final test questions. The
results of this study indicate that the local instructional theory on the topic of RME-based parallelogram in
class VII is valid. The learning design met the practical criteria based on the results of the questionnaires and
interviews. Based on the final test conducted shows that the local instructional theory is already in the effective
category. So, the learning flow produced is valid, practical and effective. The implication of this research is that
the development of local instructional theory on RME-based quadrilateral material can significantly improve
students' mathematical problem solving ability. This shows that through the right approach in learning design,
as implemented in this study, the problem solving ability problems that students often experience can be
overcome. Thus, this approach has the potential to be widely applied in improving the effectiveness of
mathematics learning in schools.

Keywords: Local Instructional Theory, Mathematical Problem Solving, Parallelogram.

Corresponding Author: Endah Zulfah

E-mail: endahzulfah217@gamil.com

INTRODUCTION
The low mathematical problem-solving ability of students can also be seen from the results of
diagnostic tests in the form of story problems conducted by Siagian solving ability is an important
aspect for every learner in order to solve problems in the learning process and everyday life (Ruswati et
al., 2018). Many parties have realized the importance of developing problem-solving skills, as
evidenced by the inclusion of problem-solving skills in the learning objectives of mathematics in
Indonesia since the 2004 curriculum (Wirdaningsih et al. 2017). However, in reality, students'
mathematical problem-solving skills are still below the expected standard. This can be seen from
several studies that have been conducted previously, including research conducted (Putra, 2017) in
class VIII SMP 1 Pulau Panggung, which showed that out of 32 students, only 9 students reached the
KKM.et al. (2019). Based on the results of interviews with one of the mathematics teachers of MTs
Negeri 5 Jambi City also said that students still have difficulty in answering problem-solving questions
in the form of story problems. This was evidenced when conducting a mathematical problem-solving

DOI: 10.58344/jws.v3i3.582 391

 Endah Zulfah, Ahmad Fauzan, I Made Arnawa
Development of Local Instructional Theory on Parallelogram Topics Based on RME to Improve Mathematical
Problem-Solving Skills

ability test on ajargenjang material at SMPN 16 Jambi City and MTs N 5 Jambi City, where the average
problem-solving ability result was 47.74. Based on the tests of the two schools, it was found that
most students had relatively low mathematical problem-solving skills. This is caused by learning that
has so far focused on developing mathematical abilities in quantity rather than in quality. Whereas
in mathematics learning, it is expected that students are involved in learning so that they not only
use certain formulas and procedures to solve problems, but more than that, students are also
expected to be able to solve some mathematical problems related to real life (Matang & Owens,
2004).
Based on the above problems, it is hoped that students will have the opportunity to be guided into
situations to find concepts in their way so that learning becomes more meaningful (Wijaya, 2013). The role
of the teacher can be maximized by developing a learning design. The design in question is a Hypothetical
Learning Trajectory (HLT), and after being tested, it will become Local Instructional Theory (LIT) (Hidayat &
Riyana, 2021). LITs can help to support learning achievement and can also help teachers evaluate and
rethink teaching, possibly before they start teaching (Andrews-Larson et al., 2017). In learning design, an
approach is needed, namely the Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) approach (Afriansyah,
2017). RME is an approach that connects subject matter with real-world problems (Wahyudi, 2016).
So that RME can help improve students' ability to solve mathematical problems (Gee, 2019); (Kelen,
2020). Based on these problems, the purpose of this study is to develop a local instructional theory based
on realistic mathematic education (RME) in class VII SMP / MTs that is valid and practical. This research is
expected to improve students' mathematical problem-solving skills through the development of local
instructional theory (LIT) based on realistic mathematics education (RME). The RME approach relates
mathematical material to real-world situations, helping students understand mathematical concepts
better and apply them in everyday life. In addition, with the RME approach, mathematics learning is
expected to become more meaningful and relevant to students, increasing their involvement in the
learning process.

METHOD
This research is a design study that uses two development models: the Gravemeijer & Cobb
model and the Plomp model (Hered et al., 2021). Gravemeijer and Cobb's design is used in the
prototype development stage or learning flow in the Plomp design. To implement the learning flow,
a teacher's book and student book were designed with the Plomp design. Furthermore, the learning
flow is developed using the Gravemeijer and Cobb design.
Through the combination of the two models, the research phase consists of preliminary
research, development or prototyping phase, and assessment phase. In the preliminary research
stage, which is reviewing the literature related to concept discovery and clarifying theoretical
intentions, then some needs analysis is carried out as a basis for designing a learning flow that is in
accordance with the Plomp model. Based on the results of the analysis at the preliminary research
stage, a realistic mathematics education-based learning path was designed. At the prototyping stage,
the developed prototype was evaluated based on formative assessment.
The formative evaluation carried out on the prototype that has been designed is a self-
evaluation, validation by experts (expert review), and was conducted by three mathematics
lecturers, one Indonesian lecturer, and one educational technology lecturer. After the developed
product is declared valid, a one-to-one evaluation, small group evaluation, and field test are

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 Endah Zulfah, Ahmad Fauzan, I Made Arnawa
Development of Local Instructional Theory on Parallelogram Topics Based on RME to Improve Mathematical
Problem-Solving Skills

conducted to determine its practicality. The test subjects in this study were students of class VII MTs
N 5 Jambi City. Research data collected through validation sheets was used to see the feasibility of
instruments and products assessed by experts at the expert review stage; teacher and learner
response questionnaires were used to see the practicality of products tested at the one-to-one, small
group, and field test stages, local instructional theory implementation observation sheets used to
see the implementation of the learning process using teacher books and realistic mathematic
education (RME)-based student books, interview sheets are also used to ask students' opinions on
student books at the one to one, small group and field test stages. Data from the interview results
were described to revise the developed learner book, and the test of students' mathematical
problem-solving ability was used to see the effect of the tested book on students' mathematical
problem-solving ability.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results of research on the development of local instructional theory based on RME in an effort
to improve mathematical problem-solving skills from the preparation stage to retrospective analysis are
explained, namely:
Initial Investigation Stage
At the initial investigation stage, several activities were carried out to gather information about the
problems found in learning mathematics. At this stage, needs analysis, curriculum analysis, learner analysis
and literature review analysis are carried out. Based on the results of this initial investigation, a learning
design was designed in the form of a local instructional theory based on RME to improve the mathematical
problem-solving skills of seventh-grade students.
Development Stage
Design of Hypothetical Learning Trajectory
At this stage, HLT will be developed to contain contextual problems that are adapted to the
daily lives of students. Then, some activities will help students construct their knowledge and find
the concept of parallelogram. This HLT consists of three parts, namely learning objectives, learning
activities and prediction of students' answers and educators' anticipation. The learning flow consists
of three HLTs consisting of
Activity 1: Listing parallelogram-shaped objects in daily life. This activity is designed for
students to explore their knowledge of various parallelogram-shaped objects in daily life. In this
activity, students are asked to determine the shape of a plane from the roof of a modern house,
which is a parallelogram. Then, students record objects that are in the shape of a parallelogram in
everyday life.
Activity 2: Students discover the concept of area of a parallelogram by comparing two cartons
that have different shapes: rectangle and parallelogram. In this activity, students determine which
carton is wider and conclude the comparison of the two carton sizes.
Activity 3: Determining the concept of the perimeter of a parallelogram through objects in the
daily environment. In this activity, students are asked to determine the perimeter of an object in
their daily environment that is in the shape of a parallelogram based on their experience. Informally,
students will discover the concept of the perimeter of a parallelogram.
Teacher's book and Learner's book
The teacher's book and learner's book are designed based on RME. The teacher's book has several

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 Endah Zulfah, Ahmad Fauzan, I Made Arnawa
Development of Local Instructional Theory on Parallelogram Topics Based on RME to Improve Mathematical
Problem-Solving Skills

components, namely cover, learning objectives, time allocation, material summary, learning activities,
predicted learner answers, teacher anticipation and assessment. As for the student book, the components
are covered, learning objectives, learner activities, contextual problems, and let's practice.
Validation of HLT, Teacher's Book and Learner's Book
The validation stage was conducted after the self-evaluation stage of the HLT, teacher's book,
and learner's book were conducted. Activities carried out at the self-evaluation stage include looking
at typing errors, sentences that are not clear in meaning, and punctuation errors, as well as choosing
the right colour and font size. This was followed by the validation stage carried out by five experts,
namely, three mathematics lecturers, 1 Indonesian lecturer, and one lecturer in educational
technology. In the HLT, the aspects assessed in the validation were content and language aspects.
The aspects assessed in the HLT validation were content and language aspects.
Table 1. Average overall HLT validation results
No. Assessed Aspect Average Category
1 Contents 3,52 Very Valid
2 Language 3,39 Valid
Overall Average 3,45 Valid
Based on the results shown in Table 1, it can be concluded that the HLT is valid and suitable
to be tested on students. The HLT on the topic of parallelogram that has been implemented into
the teacher's book and learner's book is also validated with the aspects assessed, which are
content, language, didactic or presentation, and graphical or display aspects.
Table 2: Average Results of Teacher's Book Validation by Experts
No. Assessed Aspect Average Category
1 Contents 3,52 Very valid
2 Language 3,71 Very valid
3 Didactics / presentation 3,61 Very valid
4 Graphics/display 3,46 Valid
Overall average 3,58 Very valid
Table 3. Average Results of Learner Book Validation by Experts
No. Assessed Aspect Average Category
1 Contents 3,58 Very valid
2 Language 3,75 Very valid
3 Didactics / presentation 3,50 Very valid
4 Graphics/display 3,42 Valid
Overall average 3,56 Very valid
The overall validity value of teachers' and learners' books is in the very valid category. Thus, it
can be concluded that RME-based teachers' and learners' books can be used.
After all the products are valid, a one-to-one or individual test is carried out. The subjects of
this activity were three students of class VII MTs N 5 Jambi City with high, medium and low abilities.
In this activity, students are asked to try to do the activities in the student book. The implementation
of one-to-one communication was carried out to see the obstacles faced by students in finding the
concept of the area and perimeter of the parallelogram through RME-based student books. Then,
learners are asked to provide feedback on the learner book that has been used in terms of spelling,
punctuation, activity instructions, and ease of use.

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 Endah Zulfah, Ahmad Fauzan, I Made Arnawa
Development of Local Instructional Theory on Parallelogram Topics Based on RME to Improve Mathematical
Problem-Solving Skills

The revised product based on the results of the one-to-one evaluation was named Prototype
4 and continued at the small group stage. At the small group stage, the evaluation was carried out
on six students who were divided into two heterogeneous groups. In the problems in each activity,
students are able to understand and find the concept of the area and perimeter of the parallelogram.
Furthermore, students are given a practicality questionnaire to see the ease of the student book
used.
Table 4. Practicality Results of the Student Book at the Small Group Stage
No. Assessed Aspect Average (%) Category
1 Ease of Use 84,72 Practical
2 Time Efficiency 83,33 Practical
3 Attractiveness 86,11 Very Practical
4 Ease of Understanding 82,3 Practical
5 Benefits 80,83 Practical
Practicality Score 83,45 Practical
After the small group evaluation is complete, a field test is then conducted. The evaluation
was carried out by testing the product on one class consisting of 30 heterogeneous learners. This
learning begins with a class discussion; students sit in groups of 5 learners. This class discussion not
only aims to build and develop student interactivity in accordance with the characteristics of RME
but also to stimulate students' basic knowledge of the concept of the area and perimeter of a
parallelogram.
Table 5. Practicality Results of the Learner Book at the Field Test Stage
No. Assessed Aspect Average (%) Category
1 Ease of Use 92,5 Very Practical
2 Time Efficiency 87,3 Very Practical
3 Attractiveness 82,3 Practical
4 Ease of Understanding 84,5 Practical
5 Benefits 88,3 Very Practical
Practicality Score 86,9 Very Practical
Table 6: Practicality Results of Teacher's Book
No. Assessed Aspect Average (%) Category
1 Ease of Use 95,8 Very Practical
2 Time Efficiency 84,5 Practical
3 Attractiveness 82,3 Practical
4 Ease of Understanding 88,9 Very Practical
5 Benefits 87,5 Very Practical
Practicality Score 87,8 Very Practical
From the results of Tables 5 and 6, the student book and teacher book have a practical value
with a very practical category. The results of the interview also showed that the instructions and
problems presented in the student book were clear overall. Learners also said that the colourful and
illustrated design makes students interested in reading and understanding it. Most of the work on
student books can be carried out according to the time allocation provided. Thus, the student book
used in terms of ease of use, readability, and presentation, as well as the time used, is very practical.
The effectiveness of the HLT on the topic of parallelogram based on RME was seen from the
test results of students' mathematical problem-solving ability. The effectiveness test was conducted
after the students participated in the small group and field tests. Of the six students who took the

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 Endah Zulfah, Ahmad Fauzan, I Made Arnawa
Development of Local Instructional Theory on Parallelogram Topics Based on RME to Improve Mathematical
Problem-Solving Skills

test during the small group, 4 of them completed it with an average score of 81. While the test results
during the field test with 30 students, on average, obtained a score of 80, and only five people were
below the KKM. In accordance with the effectiveness criteria, the RME-based mathematics learning
design is effective if the number of students who reach the KKM is more than 65%. Thus, because
the number of students who reach the KKM is more than 65%, the local instructional theory on the
topic of parallelogram based on RME can be effective.
This is in accordance with the research expectation that LIT can improve mathematical
problem-solving skills. Research has revealed that learning mathematics through local instructional
theory based on RME can further improve mathematical abilities (Harnas & Hidayati, 2021). Other
research results also show that students can understand the concept of perimeter and area by using
RME-based learning trajectories (Simamora, 2021).

CONCLUSION
Based on the results of the research that has been done, it can be concluded that the local
instructional theory on the topic of parallelogram based on realistic mathematic education (RME) to
improve the mathematical problem-solving skills of students in grade VII MTS, which is implemented
into the teacher's book and student book has been valid, practical and effective. Based on the above
results, the local instructional theory on the topic of parallelogram learning grade VII SMP/MTs can
be used as a guide for teachers in implementing learning to improve students' problem-solving skills.

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Problem-Solving Skills

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© 2024 by the authors. This work has been submitted for possible open access publication under
the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY SA) license
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