PENALARAN ALJABAR SISWA KELAS VII SMP NEGERI 1 MARGOYOSO KABUPATEN PATI DALAM PEMECAHAN MASALAH MATEMATIKA TAHUN PELAJARAN 2014/2015

Sari

Abstract: The aims of this study were (1) to determine the levels of algebraic reasoning seventh grade students of  SMP N 1 Margoyoso, and (2) to describe the characteristics of each algebraic reasoning level seventh grade students of SMP N 1 Margoyoso. This research was a qualitative case study. Subject selected from the seventh grade student of SMP N 1 Margoyoso on first semester of the academic year 2014/2015. The research instruments were researcher as the main instrument, the written test and interview guidelines as auxiliary instrument. Data were analyzed based on algebraic reasoning indicators, there were understanding the problem, generalization, create general form, and solving problems. Retrieved ten subjects, two subjects at level 0, two subjects at level 1, three subjects at level 2, and three subjects at level between level 2 and level 3. The characteristics of algebraic reasoning level 0: students were understand problem, used natural language, which means that students didn’t use or didn’t understand the meaning of variable, depend on the specific object, the students couldn’t create the general form, so they couldn’t perform operation on the variable in a general form. The characteristics of algebraic reasoning level 1: students were understand the problem, used natural language, which means that students didn’t use or didn’t understand the meaning of the variable, perform generalization but couldn’t create the general form, so they couldn’t perform operation on variable in a general form. The characteristics of algebraic reasoning level 2: students were understand the problem, generalizing and used symbolic language, the general form created as the result of a generalization that uses variable, capable to create general form, but couldn’t perform operation on variable. The characteristics of algebraic reasoning level between level 2 and level 3: students were understand the problem, generalizing and used symbolic language, the general form created as the result of a generalization that uses variable, capable to create general form, but can’t perform operation variable straightaway.

Key words: reasoning, algebraic  reasoning, levels of algebraic reasoning