IMPULSIVE AND REFLECTIVE STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING TO LINEAR EQUATIONS SYSTEM: AN ANALYSIS THROUGH APOS THEORY

Abstract

Understanding is constructed or reconstructed by students actively. APOS theory (action, process, object, schema) is a theory that states that individuals construct or reconstruct a concept through four stages, namely: action, process, object, and scheme. APOS theory can be used to analyze understanding of a mathematical concept. This research is a qualitative research which aims to describe impulsive and reflective students’ understanding to linear equations system based on APOS theory. Data collection techniques were carried out by giving Matching Familiar Figure Test (MFFT) and concept understanding tests to 32 students of 8^th grade in junior high school, then selected one subject with impulsive cognitive style and one subject with reflective cognitive style that can determine solutions set and solve story questions of linear equation system of two variables correctly, then the subjects were interviewed. The results show that there were differences between impulsive and reflective subjects at the stage of action in explaining the definition and giving non-examples of linear equation system of two variables, show the differences in initial scheme of two subjects. At the process stage, impulsive and reflective subjects determine solutions set of linear equation system of two variables. At the object stage, impulsive and reflective subjects determine characteristics of linear equation system of two variables. At the schema stage, impulsive and reflective subjects solve story questions of of linear equation system of two variables, show the final schematic similarity of two subjects.

Keywords: understanding, APOS theory, linear equations system of two variables, impulsive cognitive style, reflective cognitive style.