Parina Madita, Zulhendri, Astuti

The Influence of the Problem Based Learning Model on Students’ Mathematical Communication Ability

Introduction

The influence of the problem based learning model on students’ mathematical communication ability. Discover how Problem Based Learning impacts students' mathematical communication ability. A quasi-experimental study found PBL significantly improves skills in Class X students.

Abstract

This study is based on the low ability of students in mathematical communication in class X of SMA Negeri 1 Kuok, which can be seen from their learning outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether there was an impact of the implementation of the problem-based cooperative learning model on students' mathematical communication skills in class X of SMA Negeri 1 Kuok. This type of research is a quasi-experimental study with a sampling technique using simple random sampling. The population studied were students of class X of SMA Negeri 1 Kuok for the 2024/2025 Academic Year which were divided into two classes. The selected sample was class X.1 as the control group and class X.2 as the experimental group. The instruments used in this study included observation sheets and test questions to measure mathematical communication skills. The data analysis method applied was the Independent Sample T-Test with the support of SPSS 25 software. The average Pre-test score of students' mathematical communication skills in the experimental class was 40.00, while the control class reached 47.39. The average Post-test score of students' mathematical communication skills in the experimental class increased to 72.17, while the average control class was 61.96. Thus, it can be concluded that there is an influence of the Problem Based Learning learning model on students' mathematical communication skills in class X of SMA Negeri 1 Kuok. This can be proven through the Independent Sample T-Test which shows a sig (2-tailed) value of 0.000 which is smaller than 0.05, so H0 is rejected and Ha is accepted.

Review

This study addresses a pertinent issue in mathematics education: the improvement of students' mathematical communication ability, a crucial skill often found to be underdeveloped. The authors clearly articulate their objective: to determine the influence of a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model on these skills among tenth-grade students at SMA Negeri 1 Kuok. The motivation, stemming from observed low communication skills, provides a strong basis for the research. The chosen quasi-experimental design is an appropriate initial approach to investigate this pedagogical intervention, setting a clear framework for evaluating the proposed solution. The methodology employs a quasi-experimental design, comparing an experimental group (PBL) with a control group (conventional teaching) drawn from two distinct classes (X.1 and X.2). While the abstract mentions "simple random sampling," it appears this was applied at the class level rather than individual students, a common approach in such educational intervention studies. Data collection involved observation sheets and test questions designed to assess mathematical communication skills, which were then analyzed using an Independent Sample T-Test. The reported results indicate a notable positive impact: the experimental group's post-test scores significantly increased compared to the control group, with a mean post-test score of 72.17 versus 61.96, respectively. The statistical significance (p=0.000 < 0.05) robustly supports the rejection of the null hypothesis and the acceptance of the alternative, confirming PBL's positive influence. A key strength of this study is its clear demonstration of the effectiveness of the Problem-Based Learning model in enhancing students' mathematical communication abilities within the studied context. The statistical analysis provides strong evidence for the observed impact. However, the generalizability of these findings might be limited by the specific context of a single school and a relatively small sample size (two classes). Although the pre-test scores showed a slight initial difference between the groups, the significant post-test difference, coupled with robust statistical analysis, convincingly supports the authors' conclusion. Future research could benefit from exploring the long-term effects of PBL, incorporating qualitative data to understand the mechanisms through which communication improves, and replicating the study across diverse educational settings to strengthen the external validity of these promising results.

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