An Analysis of Students' Conceptual Understanding in the Pythagorean Theorem Material
Abstract
Conceptual understanding is a fundamental skill and one of the primary goals of mathematics learning, where students are expected to comprehend concepts, explain relationships between concepts, and apply them in mathematical problem-solving processes. However, observations reveal that students generally exhibit relatively low levels of conceptual understanding when solving mathematical problems, mainly due to insufficient mastery of prerequisite materials. The purpose of this study is to analyze students' conceptual understanding of the Pythagorean Theorem based on the conceptual understanding indicators proposed by the National Research Council. The research method used is qualitative with a descriptive approach, specifically a hermeneutic phenomenological study. Qualitative data were obtained from document analysis, test results, and interviews involving 29 junior high school students. The findings based on five test items representing the conceptual understanding indicators show that the most mastered indicator by students is the ability to apply and use the concept appropriately. Conversely, the least mastered indicator is the ability to classify objects based on mathematical concepts.
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