EFFORTS TO INCREASE THE ABILITY OF COMPLETING EXERCISES IN STORIES OF THE STUDENTS OF CLASS IV OF SD MUHAMMADIYAH PENDOWOHARJO IN THE MATHEMATICS TEACHING BY USING PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING MODEL

This research aims at improving the ability in completing exercises in math stories of fourth-grade students of SD Muhammadiyah Pendowoharjo using Problem-Based Learning model and describing the implementation of the mathematics teaching with Problem-Based Learning in Grade IV of SD Muhammadiyah Pendowoharjo. This was classroom action research conducted in two cycles. The subject of this study was 24 students of grade IV of SD Muhammadiyah Pendowoharjo. The research object was the whole process of the mathematics teaching using Problem-Based Learning model. Research instruments were observation sheets of the implementation of the mathematics teaching with the Problem-Based Learning model, observation sheets of students’ ability in completing exercises in stories, interviews, tests of the ability in completing exercises in stories, and field notes. The research results showed that the implementation of the mathematics teaching with Problem-Based Learning model to improve the ability of fourth graders of SD Muhammadiyah Pendowoharjo in completing exercises in math stories through the stages of Problem-Based Learning model included (1) presenting problems contained in Student Activity Sheets (LAS) in the form of exercises in math stories, (2) organizing students to learn; the teacher made groups of students and each group consisted of 4 to 5 students, (3) guiding the investigation; students discussed and made inquiry about the exercises in math stories, (4) presenting the results of group discussions, and (5) analyzing and evaluating the students’ works and emphasizing conclusions obtained. The improved ability in completing exercises in stories was indicated by the average score of the test in the ability of completing exercises in stories which amounted to 44.42 in the category of adequate before actions increasing to 57.75 after actions in the category of adequate in Cycle 1. While in Cycle 2, the average test score of the ability in completing the exercises increased to 73 in the category of good. The following details included the improvement of students’ ability in completing exercises in math stories: (a) the students’ ability in understanding problems increased from 77% to 80%, (b) the students’ ability in planning the solutions increased from 10% to 62%, (c) the students’ ability in solving problems increased from 65% to 76%, and (d) the students’ ability in interpreting answers increased from 70% to 73%