PENINGKATAN PEMAHAMAN KONSEP PERKALIAN MELALUI PEMBELAJARAN KONTEKSTUAL PADA SISWA KELAS III DI SDLB-C

ABSTRACT Mental retarded children become the subject of this research. They get difficulties in comprehending the multiplication concept since they only get static learning process and they are not given meaningful context. This causes their academic failure, especially in the mathematics learning. An appropriate learning strategy which can accommodate the whole students in the class, clever students, average students, or teacher is needed. That strategy is contextual learning model. The research problem in this research is the lack of mathematics study result because of the third grade students at Sinar Harapan Inclusive primary School C Probolinggo get difficulties in multiplication concept. Therefore contextual learning method is used in this research. This research aims to improve the third grade students’ multiplication concept at Sinar Harapan Inclusive Primary School C Probolinggo through Contextual Teaching and Learning. This research is a classroom action research. The steps of this research are as follows: a) planning, b) action, c) observation, d) evaluation and reflection. It needs 2 cycles to improve the mathematics study result for 72.5%. In the pre cycle, the students’ mathematics study result is 53.7%. It becomes 63.1% in the first cycle. It is because the contextual learning model has not been applied well and the students need to adapt the new method. it needs to be brought to the second cycle to maximize the guidance giving for the group by focusing on the cooperation. The children can adapt the new method and can study in their group. Therefore, it can improve the students’ study result as 72.5%. The research setting is the third grade of Sinar Harapan inclusive primary school Probolinggo. The subjects of the research are 8 students. The result of the research shows that contextual teaching and learning method can improve mental retarded children’s mathematics study result. Based on the research, it is suggested that contextual teaching and learning can be used as the mathematics learning strategy for mental retarded children. It is because this method can improve students’ study result multiplication skill successfully.   Keywords: concept comprehantion, multiplication, contextual teaching and learning