Description of Learning Motivation in Mathematics Learning for Class V Students of Imam Syafi'i Private Madrasah Ibtidaiyah, Gorontalo Regency

I Gede Aldi Suparsa¹, Moon Hidayati Otoluwa², Lia Nurhayati³

^1,2,3Muhammadiyah University of Gorontalo, Gorontalo, Indonesia

Email : aldisuparsa01@gmail.com¹, moonhidayati@ung.ac.id², lianurhayati@umgo.ac.id³

Abstract

This research aims to describe learning motivation in mathematics learning for class v students at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Swasta Imam Syafi'I, Gorontalo Regency. This research uses a qualitative descriptive method with data collection techniques through observation, interviews, and documentation. The results showed students were diligent in doing assignments even though they experienced difficulties. They try to do assignments independently and ask other people; students always have the desire to try to answer the practice questions in the student's book without any criticism from any party, but not all students do it. Assignments on time, get low grades, don't give up, and will always try to improve by being more active in participating in learning.

Keywords: Mathematics Learning, Learning Motivation

Introduction

For most people, mathematics is a difficult subject at school, mathematics is considered difficult because complex numbers are difficult to solve, and formulas are difficult to remember and understand (Siregar & Nara, 2015). Mathematics is also often understood as something absolute, so it seems impossible that there is another way to answer a problem. Several factors cause students to experience learning difficulties, especially in learning mathematics, the first is internal and the second is external. Internal factors such as changes in students' attitudes who tend to think negatively, apart from that, interest in learning mathematics is caused by students not paying attention to the teacher when explaining the material, students have low internal motivation and capacity and are not supported by motivation and learning goals (Sabrina, Fauzi, & Yamin, 2017).

As for external factors, such as in the learning process teachers only have monotonous strategies, do not attract students' attention, and learning support facilities are still limited, teachers and students sometimes do not bring their learning equipment, lack of support from families in studying at home because parents are too busy with work respectively and less competent teachers, a crowded community environment and public education that is still low (Romlah, Nugraha, & Setiawan, 2019).

As a teacher, how to make learning mathematics easier, motivation must be promoted because it is very important for student progress and development. Apart from that, in the learning process, if the teacher's motivation is good and the goals are achieved, learning activities will increase, with clear goals, students will be more active, brave and enthusiastic (Mailani, 2015). Motivation in mathematics learning at the Imam Syafi'I Private Madrasah Ibtidaiyah is still minimal by mathematics subject teachers, especially in class v (five), which results in students not being enthusiastic about participating in mathematics learning.

When taking part in mathematics lessons, some students do not focus during the learning process, and when given assignments by the teacher, some students do not do the assignments because they experience difficulties (Wei et al., 2020). In mathematics learning, educators must have a way to make students as comfortable and interesting as possible so that students can easily absorb mathematics learning. Educators have the task of providing facilities or convenience for student learning activities (Hendriana, Prahmana, Ristiana, Rohaeti, & Hidayat, 2022).

Motivation comes from the Latin word "movere" which means encouragement or driving force. According to Fillmore H. Standford in the book, (Miftahuddin, 2017) says that "motivation is an energizing condition of the organism that serves to direct that organism toward the goal of a certain class" (motivation as a condition that moves humans towards a certain goal). According to (Filgona, Sakiyo, Gwany, & Okoronka, 2020), motive can be said to be a driving force from within and within the subject to carry out certain activities to achieve a goal.

Motivation to learn is an encouragement that arises in a student's enthusiasm for carrying out learning activities for the desired goal. To guide, develop and motivate in the desired direction, the relationship between teachers and students must be educational. This educational interaction is a process of reciprocal relationships with a specific goal, namely the maturation of students so that one day they can stand on their own, discovering themselves as a whole (Hendriana et al., 2022). This is not an easy job, but it requires serious effort. Educators as trainers and teachers must be willing and able to place students above other interests.

This is also to translate professional educators and who professional students are. With this, educators need to realize themselves as bearers of responsibility to bring students to a level of success (Hendriana et al., 2022). Teachers with a strong belief in their abilities are likely to put in significant effort in organizing, planning, and delivering their lessons. They may also implement more diverse and challenging instructional methods compared to teachers who have low confidence in their abilities (Chao, Chow  Emily, Forlin, & Ho, 2017). Instead, student motivation for learning lies in their desire to find the most appropriate cognitive strategies, which they believe will assist in learning. Whether it's about organizing, repeating the information, monitoring comprehensive level or making connections between new and previously acquired knowledge, each student, in part, establishes their order of priority (Andrei, Izabela, & Valentina, 2014).

Mathematics is essential knowledge for humanity and plays a vital role in societal progress. Within elementary school, academic success serves as a significant gauge of students' academic adjustment and skill advancement (Zhu et al., 2024). Mathematics motivation has a major influence on classroom activities, especially final exams. Mathematics is a subject that most people consider difficult, so motivating students before studying helps the continuity of teaching and learning activities in the classroom (Hendriana et al., 2022). In mathematics learning, educators must have a way to make it as comfortable and interesting as possible so that children can easily absorb mathematics learning. Modern math education highlights the significance of offering students chances to grasp conceptual understanding and develop mathematical thinking. One method to achieve this objective is through the utilization of learning technologies (Dai, Ke, Pan, & Liu, 2023).

The development of mathematical abilities is fundamental in early education, and mathematics education has been standardized in numerous countries via foundational guidelines. Consequently, primary school emerges as a pivotal stage in learning since children's mathematical proficiency by the conclusion of this educational phase significantly influences their future academic achievements (Agudelo et al., 2024).

From the results of an interview with the mathematics subject teacher and teacher of class v (five) of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Iman Syafi'I, Gorontalo Regency, which was conducted on 20 October 2022, information was obtained that: the majority of students are still less motivated in learning mathematics. When the teacher explains in front of the class and students have difficulty doing the assignment, when they are given assignments to do at home there are still students who don't do it even though the assignment is checked by the teacher. As students, they still do not have the awareness to do the assignments and pay attention to the teacher explaining in front of the class even though the teacher has tried to instil a sense of self-confidence in the students.

From the results of observations at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Imam Syafi'i Gorontalo Regency, which was carried out on October 10 2022, it was seen that there were still students who did not participate in learning, students did not take lessons seriously and students quickly got bored when given assignments. So that learning occurs that does not achieve the objectives, this requires more motivation to arouse students' enthusiasm for learning in following the mathematics learning process. Teachers are expected to be able to raise students' learning motivation in learning mathematics by providing fun activities for students.

This is in line with (Brandmiller, Dumont, & Becker, 2020), namely: Teachers can motivate students by providing fun activities for students so that students do not feel bored, paying attention to their wishes, building understanding through what they know, creating a supportive classroom atmosphere and stimulate learning, provide activities that are in line with learning objectives, provide challenging activities, provide activities that give hope of success, respect each student's achievements.

If this research had not been carried out, educators at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Imam Syafi'I, especially mathematics teachers, would not have known the importance of providing learning motivation for students' mathematics learning achievement.

Research methods

This research employs a qualitative approach (Bawamenewi, 2021) with specific characteristics. The qualitative approach adopts naturalistic concepts, where reality is viewed as having multiple, unified, whole, open, and changing dimensions. In this approach, the researcher's relationship with the research objects is interactive, involving observation from both external and internal perspectives. The researcher acts as the research instrument, which is subjective, intuitive, and rational. The research results are presented in the form of descriptions, interpretations, and tentative and situational analyses. The descriptions and interpretations are presented according to the researcher's perspective, which may identify specific themes. The meaning derived from the research findings is subjective, devoid of judgment based on what is encountered in the field. The research method utilized is descriptive research, aiming to depict the characteristics of the population or phenomena under study.

Results and Discussion

Results

By the results of observations and interviews conducted by researchers at the Imam Syafi'I Private Madrasah Ibtidaiyah, Gorontalo district, researchers found that when learning was taking place, students always did the assignments given by the teacher, although there were still some students who just played and ignored the assignment. If they experience, the difficulty is that students don't try to do the assignment, students will copy their friends' work. Apart from that, students who experience difficulties will ignore the assignments given by the teacher. Students often copy or copy their friends' work rather than trying to do the assignments given independently. Students will always ask teachers and friends if they encounter material and problems that are difficult to solve. Students do not learn mathematics. at home because they choose to do other activities, students have not taken mathematics lessons even though the teacher has opened mathematics tutoring to students, students have not realized the importance of mathematics lessons as an orientation towards their goals, students have not been diligent in studying at school or outside school, it can be seen that at school not a few those who only play when the teacher explains in front of the class, students do not complete and submit assignments given by the teacher on time.

Discussion

Based on the qualitative approach used in this research, the findings shed light on several variables related to students' learning behaviour and attitudes towards mathematics at Imam Syafi'I Private Madrasah Ibtidaiyah in Gorontalo district. Firstly, regarding student engagement with assignments, it was observed that while many students diligently completed the assignments given by the teacher, there was also a noticeable portion who tended to prioritize other activities or simply ignored the tasks. This behaviour suggests a lack of intrinsic motivation or interest in the subject matter.

Moreover, the tendency for some students to resort to copying their peers' work when faced with difficulty highlights another important variable: students' problem-solving skills and perseverance. Rather than attempting to tackle challenges independently, some students opted for the easier route of copying, indicating a potential deficit in their ability to overcome obstacles and persevere through difficulties.

Furthermore, the findings also point to the role of external factors, such as the availability of support and resources, in shaping students' learning habits. Despite the provision of mathematics tutoring sessions by the teacher, it was noted that not all students took advantage of these opportunities. This suggests a need for further exploration into the effectiveness of supplementary support systems in facilitating student learning and engagement.

Additionally, the observation that some students fail to recognize the importance of mathematics lessons concerning their future goals underscores the significance of students' attitudes and perceptions towards the subject. This variable is crucial in understanding the underlying reasons behind students' disengagement and lack of commitment to their academic studies.

Overall, the research findings highlight a complex interplay of factors influencing students' learning behaviour and attitudes towards mathematics. By examining these variables within the context of Imam Syafi'I Private Madrasah Ibtidaiyah, valuable insights can be gained into potential areas for intervention and improvement in fostering a more conducive learning environment for students.

Conclusion

Through a qualitative approach applied in this study at Imam Syafi'I Private Madrasah Ibtidaiyah in Gorontalo district, various important factors regarding students' attitudes and behaviours towards mathematics learning have been uncovered. The research findings depict a spectrum of behaviours among students, ranging from diligent completion of assignments to a tendency to prioritize other activities or disregard tasks altogether. Additionally, the inclination of some students to resort to copying peers' work instead of attempting independent problem-solving highlights potential deficiencies in their problem-solving abilities and perseverance. Moreover, external influences such as the availability of support and resources emerge as pivotal in shaping students' learning patterns. Despite the provision of mathematics tutoring sessions, not all students make use of these opportunities, signalling a necessity for further examination into the efficacy of supplementary support mechanisms. Furthermore, the observation that certain students fail to grasp the significance of mathematics concerning their future aspirations underscores the importance of students' perceptions and attitudes towards the subject. When integrating these findings with the conclusions drawn from the research outcomes, it becomes apparent that while many students exhibit engagement with mathematics learning, there exist notable obstacles such as a lack of inherent motivation, deficiencies in problem-solving skills, and a failure to recognize the relevance of mathematics to their long-term goals. Additionally, inconsistencies in students' commitment to studying, both in school and at home, are evident, with instances of disengagement and tardiness in assignment submissions. Overall, these findings underscore the imperative for interventions aimed at fostering a more supportive learning environment and cultivating positive attitudes towards mathematics among students at Imam Syafi'I Private Madrasah Ibtidaiyah in Gorontalo district.

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Copyright holder:

I Gede Aldi Suparsa¹, Moon Hidayati Otoluwa², Lia Nurhayati³ (2024)

First publication rights:

Advances in Social Humanities Research

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