Students’ conceptual difficulties in learning curved-surface solids: The needs for RME-based interactive e-module

Yoga Tegar Santosa, Mutiara Hisda Mahmudah, Eko Ari Wibowo — Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

[English]: This study aims to identify students’ difficulties in learning curved-surface solids, analyze the key aspects of their conceptual understanding, and explore their needs regarding content and digital features for an RME-based e-module. A mixed-method approach with a sequential explanatory design was employed. The participants consisted of 94 ninth-grade students from a private junior high school in Surakarta, Indonesia. Data were collected using a questionnaire as well as in-depth interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, while qualitative data were processed through reduction, display, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that students continue to struggle with visualizing three-dimensional shapes, understanding the structure and use of formulas for volume and surface area, and identifying components of curved-surface solids. Their conceptual understanding falls within the “moderate” category, with noticeable uncertainty in explaining, connecting, and applying concepts. Moreover, students require content that offers deeper conceptual explanations, step-by-step procedural examples, and contextualized exercises, highlighting the need for integrating the RME approach into the e-module. They also expect digital features such as 3D visualizations, tutorial videos, interactive object manipulation, and automated assessments.

[Bahasa]: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi kesulitan belajar dan menganalisis pemahaman konsep siswa pada materi bangun ruang sisi lengkung, serta mengeksplorasi kebutuhan mereka terhadap konten dan fitur e-module sebagai landasan pengembangan e-module berbasis realistic mathematics education (RME). Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan mixed-method dengan desain sequential explanatory. Partisipan terdiri atas 94 siswa kelas IX dari salah satu SMP swasta di Kota Surakarta, Indonesia. Data diperoleh melalui angket dan wawancara mendalam. Analisis data kuantitatif dilakukan secara deskriptif, sedangkan data kualitatif dianalisis melalui proses reduksi, penyajian, dan penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa siswa masih mengalami kesulitan dalam memvisualisasikan bentuk tiga dimensi, memahami struktur dan penerapan rumus volume serta luas permukaan, serta mengidentifikasi komponen bangun ruang sisi lengkung. Pemahaman konsep siswa berada pada kategori cukup dengan kecenderungan ketidakpastian dalam menjelaskan, menghubungkan, dan menerapkan konsep. Selain itu, siswa membutuhkan konten berupa penjelasan konseptual yang mendalam, contoh prosedural bertahap, dan latihan kontekstual yang menunjukkan perlunya integrasi pendekatan RME pada e-module. Siswa juga mengharapkan fitur digital seperti visualisasi 3D, video tutorial, manipulasi objek interaktif, dan asesmen otomatis.

The role of visual representation in primary student’s ability to solve fraction word problems

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

[English]: Difficulties in solving fraction word problems remain a persistent challenge in elementary mathematics education, as students struggle to translate written situations into appropriate mathematical representations and corresponding operations, or vice versa. This study explores how visual representation contributes to primary students’ ability to solve fraction word problems. Despite fractions being fundamental for mathematics advancement, students struggle with translating written problems into mathematical operations. Through a systematic literature review following the PRISMA framework, 28 peer-reviewed articles that were published between 2015 and 2025 were analyzed from Semantic Scholar, ERIC, and Scopus databases using the SPIDER tools for keyword selection. The findings reveal that area models were most frequently used, followed by number lines, bar models, and set models. Furthermore, the findings suggest that visual representations are associated with improved performance in solving fraction word problems and may support students’ conceptual understanding of fractions by organizing information and providing concrete illustrations of abstract concepts.

[Bahasa]: Kesulitan dalam menyelesaikan soal cerita pecahan masih menjadi tantangan yang persisten dalam pendidikan matematika tingkat dasar, karena siswa mengalami kesulitan dalam menerjemahkan situasi soal tertulis menjadi representasi matematis yang tepat dan operasi yang sesuai atau sebaliknya. Penelitian ini mengkaji dampak representasi visual terhadap kemampuan siswa sekolah dasar dalam menyelesaikan soal cerita pecahan. Meskipun pecahan merupakan konsep dasar dalam perkembangan matematika, siswa sering kesulitan dalam menerjemahkan soal tertulis menjadi operasi matematika. Melalui tinjauan literatur sistematis berdasarkan kerangka kerja PRISMA, 28 artikel yang diterbitkan antara tahun 2015 dan 2025 dari database Semantic Scholar, ERIC, dan Scopus menggunakan alat SPIDER untuk pemilihan kata kunci. Temuan menunjukkan bahwa model area paling sering digunakan, diikuti oleh garis bilangan, model batang, dan model himpunan; selain itu, temuan tersebut juga mengindikasikan bahwa representasi visual berkaitan dengan peningkatan kemampuan dalam memecahkan soal cerita pecahan dan dapat mendukung pemahaman konseptual siswa tentang pecahan dengan cara mengorganisasikan informasi serta memberikan ilustrasi konkret atas konsep-konsep abstrak.

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Students’ conceptual difficulties in learning curved-surface solids: The needs for RME-based interactive e-module

The role of visual representation in primary student’s ability to solve fraction word problems