Developing Differential Equation Course Material to Improve Prospective Teachers Performance on Mathematical Higher Order Thinking Skill
E. Elvis Napitupulu, Ani Minarni, Hamidah Nasution

Universitas Negeri Medan

Abstract

Based on author^s own experiences, it revealed that students mathematical higher order thinking skill (MHOTS) is very inadequate. It also emerged that they are accustomed to doing mathematics in low order thinking, that is to say procedural in almost every course at their tertiary level education. Considering the fact, it is important and crucial to develop an ambiance leading the students to grasp the skill mentioned. The study intended to develop course material to facilitate students achieve the competence they must grasp in learning differential equation. The four-D of Thiagarajan, Semmel, and Semmel method is used in developing the course material. The work of Nieveen and Folmer is used to judge either the material developed is practical or not. The device developed fulfilled three criteria, i.e. valid, practical, and effective. While designing and developing the materials, student previous knowledge and the ability to solve problems are taking into account. The semester lesson plan is produced via focus group discussion as the guidance for the lecturer to conduct the course. The students are considered ready to engaged in the course. They are able doing integration and differentiation. The study is still on going, but up to the thirteenth meeting, the students reported that the course materials distributed help them to easier comprehend the course. The middle semester examination revealed the students MHOTS increased albeit still in low category. The using of the software such as Wolfram and Geogebra is intended to help students not only make graphics of the solutions but also the direction field that enable them sketching the solutions without solving firs the equations.

Keywords: Developing, Course Material, improving, Higher order thinking skill

Topic: Education