The Effect of Realistic Mathematic Education (RME) in Improving Primary School Students’ Spatial Ability in Subtopic Two Dimension Shape

Abstract

This study aims to determine: (1) students' spatial ability through Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) and ordinary learning; (2) students' spatial ability before taught by Realistic Mathematics Education (RME); and (3) the improvement students’ spatial ability taught by Realistic Mathematics Education (RME). This research is a quasi-experimental research. Samples in this research are 69 students at class three, 81 Sate Primary School, Pekanbaru. The instruments in this research are spatial ability test which is analyzed using one-way Independent Samples T-Test. It shows: (1) students' spatial ability through Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) learning is better than ordinary learning; (2) students 'spatial ability before being taught with Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) is similar to students' spatial skills before being taught with ordinary learning; and (3) students’ spatial ability taught by Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) improve more well and also has higher percentage of students than students taught by ordinary learning.

Keywords: Spatial ability, two dimension shape, Realistic Mathematics Education (RME)