The Effect of Realistic Mathematics Education and Problem Based Learning Model on Mathematics Problem Solving Ability in Terms of Precondition Mathematics Abilities

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to compare two treatments, namely the realistic mathematics education approach (RME) and problem-based learning (PBL) towards students' mathematical problem-solving abilities. To obtain complete information about the comparison of the two models, we also used the non-treatment group as the control class. This research approach is quantitative using quasi-experimental methods. The design of this study is a nonequivalent comparison group design involving 243 students of SMA Negeri 14 Maluku, Indonesia, in the 2019/2020 academic year. The results showed that there were differences in students' problem abilities with the high, medium, and low Precondition Mathematics Abilities (PMA) categories. There is an interaction effect between RME, PBL, and conventional learning models with PMA on students' mathematical problem abilities.