ETHNOMATHEMATICS MAKES LEARNING MATHEMATICS MORE MEANINGFUL

Abstract

Mathematics has been given from the first grade of elementary school to twelve secondary schools. These subjects are the main subjects in each education unit. There are various delivery methods used by the teacher with the aim to be more easily accepted by students. Mathematics has become a subject that is considered difficult for school students so that these subjects and their teachers are feared by students. Based on observations made, students assume that mathematics subjects are difficult and boring. Students contend that mathematics is rigid, abstract, theoretical, full of difficult symbols and formulas. Mathematics is also considered far from everyday life. This assumption contributes to students' negative perceptions of mathematics. If a student wishes to remember something without connecting with other things, both the process and the results of his learning can be declared as memorizing and will not be meaningful to him. Learning can be meaningful if the activities carried out by students are fun and moreover if it is relevant to everyday experiences. Therefore, so that mathematics learning is meaningful students are advised to take ethno mathematics based tutoring. With the opening of ethno mathematics based tutoring, it can help improve student learning with meaning followed by increasing numbers of entrepreneurs in Indonesia.