The Enhancing Student Mathematical Understanding through Differentiated Learning: A Study of Fifth Graders at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah

Abstract

Investigating the Impact of Differentiated Learning with Experience, Interaction, Communication, and Reflection Approach on Student Mathematical Understanding. The ability to comprehend mathematical concepts involves students' capacity to apply and utilize concepts in innovative ways based on their understanding. This research aims to measure and analyze the level of student understanding in mathematics, specifically focusing on the implementation of differentiation learning using the experience, interaction, communication, and reflection approach within the fifth-grade setting at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah. Differentiated learning, a well-known educational method, aims to accommodate diverse student needs, ensuring comprehensive understanding. To conduct this study, researchers divided students into three groups: the Lowest Common Multiple (LCM) group, the Butterfly group, and the Origami group, based on initial ability diagnoses. Subsequently, the learning process employed experience, interaction, communication, and reflection strategies. A mixed research method was utilized for data collection and analysis. The study's results, assessed through five indicators of student mathematical understanding, demonstrated a notable improvement in students' conceptual comprehension. The average gain test value of 0.451442 indicated a medium-level increase, with a significance level value of 0.05. Consequently, students receiving differentiated learning with the experience, interaction, communication, and reflection approach exhibited superior mathematical understanding compared to those receiving conventional instruction. Overall, this research provides empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of differentiated learning, emphasizing the significance of incorporating experiential, interactive, communicative, and reflective methods to enhance students' mathematical comprehension.