International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies

Volume 4 Issue 2 June 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.53378/352980

Effectiveness of Realistic Mathematics

Education Approach on Problem-Solving
Skills of Students
1
John Kirby L. Dinglasan, 2Danielle Rencell C. Caraan & 3Delon
A. Ching

Abstract

Mathematics is concerned with the method used in the teaching and learning process in addition to issues
encountered in the cognitive domain. The Philippines' education system is still dominated by traditional
mathematics teaching, which frequently overlooks the goal of mathematics education—to prepare students to
deal successfully with real-life situations. This affects the declining performance of the students in their overall
mathematical ability, especially in problem-solving. Hence, this study utilized a pre-experimental design to
measure the effectiveness of the Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) approach in the problem-solving
skills of the students in terms of understanding the problem, devising a plan, carrying out the plan, and looking
back. Furthermore, the cluster sampling technique was used in choosing thirty-five grade 9 students and
evaluated their problem-solving ability using a pre-test and post-test assessments. Based on the result, there is
a highly significant difference in the mean pre-test and post-test performance of the respondent before and after
using the RME approach in all the four phases of problem-solving (p-value=0.000). This implies that the RME
is an effective teaching approach that successfully improved the mathematical proficiency of the students,
especially in all aspects of problem-solving skills. The findings verify that educators can use the RME approach
to expose their students to more collaborative teaching-learning processes that incorporate real-world
scenarios. Future researchers may also conduct a similar study in face-to-face learning to comprehensively use
the RME approach.
Keywords: Didactical Phenomenology, Emergent Model, Guided Reinvention, Problem-solving Skills,
Realistic Mathematics Education Approach

Article History:
Received: January 31, 2023 Revised: March 31, 2023
Accepted: April 1, 2023 Published online: April 7, 2023

Suggested Citation:
Dinglasan, J.L., Caraan, D.C. & Ching, D.A. (2023). Effectiveness of Realistic Mathematics Education
Approach on Problem-Solving Skills of Students. International Journal of Educational Management and
Development Studies, 4 (2), 64-87. https://doi.org/10.53378/352980
About the authors:
1
Corresponding author. Pre-service Teacher, Laguna State Polytechnic University, San Pablo City Campus.
Corresponding email: kirbydinglasan@gmail.com
2
Pre-service Teacher, Laguna State Polytechnic University, San Pablo City Campus
3Assistant Professor IV, Laguna State Polytechnic University- San Pablo City, Campus

*This paper is a finalist in the International Research Competition Category 2 Undergraduate.

© The author (s). Published by Institute of Industry and Academic Research Incorporated.
This is an open-access article published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license,
which grants anyone to reproduce, redistribute and transform, commercially or non-commercially, with
proper attribution. Read full license details here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
 ISSN 2719-0633 (Print) 2719-0641 (Online) | 65

1. Introduction

Mathematics is expected to provide high-quality education that emphasizes problem-

solving and makes the learners globally competitive. As stated in the third edition of the World
Economic Forum (2020), problem-solving is one of the top abilities most in-demand in the
next five years. Furthermore, the Department of Education (DepEd) developed a curriculum
that emphasizes the twin goals of mathematics, problem-solving skills and critical thinking.
This curriculum satisfies the need to get Filipino pupils ready for the demands of the twenty-
first century.

Despite the innovations made by the international and local education system, students
still considered mathematics the most challenging subject (Escarez & Ching, 2022) specifically
problem-solving (Nurjamaludin et al., 2021). This problem is evident in the Program for
International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018, where the Philippines came in last place out
of 79 countries in mathematics (OECD, 2019). The Philippines did not reach the average score
of 489 and got only 353. In relation with this, according to the study of Roman (2019) from
the result of national assessments and research from the Philippines over the past 15 years,
students show poor Mathematical performance that is noticeable from basic education to
higher education levels. It is supported by the study of Imam (2016) that the country’s
mathematics performance is still considered poor, and affirm that the initial result of current
efforts of the government by adopting K-12 curriculum did not do much to change the status
quo. Additionally, from the findings of Pentang (2021), Filipino learners with an unsatisfactory
performance in numbers, measurement, and statistics while alarmingly poor in geometry and
algebra. Based on the National Achievement Test (NAT) 2018, students got a low mean
percentage score of 35.34% in the Mathematical Ability subtest (Penaso & Gaylo, 2019). In
this assessment, problem-solving skills are acknowledged as the core of mathematics education
(OECD, 2013).

Meanwhile, Laurens et al. (2018) highlighted that using ineffective teaching tactics and
learning approaches has an impact on students' capacity to learn mathematics. Moreover, in
1970 a new approach in mathematics teaching was introduced in the Netherlands by
Freudenthal Institute popularly known as the Realistic Mathematics Education (RME)
approach. Plenty of the past international studies showed that the RME approach is an effective
66 | International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, Volume 4 Issue 2

strategy in enhancing the cognitive and mathematics achievement level of the students
(Laurens et al. 2018; Zakaria & Syamaun, 2017). However, in comparison to the traditional
lecture with problem-solving skills activities, this teaching style is not widely used in the
Philippines. In reviewing related literature and studies, the study was unable to locate any study
conducted in the Philippines to consider the RME approach as a teaching strategy for
improving students' mathematical skills, to the best of the researchers’ knowledge. To fill up
the gaps left by previous studies, this study adapted the RME approach to the Philippine
educational system and test its effectiveness on problem-solving skills of the students.

With the characteristics of the RME approach, learners can easily relate to the problem
and be able to imagine the situations present in it. In solving a problem, they reflect and rely
upon their previous knowledge and experiences to understand more. And for systematic
problem-solving, this study incorporated the four phases of problem-solving by George Polya.
This study was conducted to determine the pre-test performance of the student on problem-
solving skills before the use of the RME approach in terms of understanding the problem,
devising a plan, carrying out the plan, and looking back. It also determined the post-test
performance of the students on problem-solving skills after the use of RME approach and find
out significant difference between the pre-test and post-test performances before and after
using the RME approach.

2. Literature review

2.1. Realistic Mathematics Education Approach

The RME approach is a development of research strategy and pedagogical theory on

mathematics based on the idea of Hans Freudenthal (Dickinson & Hough, 2012). It is a
teaching method that uses students' everyday experiences as a starting point for their learning
(Kosim & Tirta, 2020). It establishes adequate mathematical comprehension, including the
actual use of mathematics. Additionally, RME approach includes three core heuristic principles
such as didactical phenomenology, self-developed or emergent models, and guided reinvention
(Bray & Tangney, 2016).

Guided Reinvention. Guided reinvention is a procedure in which the students' learning

experiences should be aligned to the process in which mathematics was developed by the
mathematician (Anwar et al., 2012). It plays distinct roles in the instructional design of this
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study, where students let to reinvent mathematical concepts that they relate to in the
mathematical statements. The use of guided reinvention promotes the students’ work and
responses as the main topic of the discussion, and teachers act as facilitators.

Didactical Phenomenology. It is a process that takes place in instructional design,

where students should expose to the teaching-learning process that is experientially real to
them. Students are more engaged in discussions when they have activities that are personally
relevant to them (Stephan et al., 2014). Thus, this process depends on every classroom, the
situation of the students, and their level of thinking and experience, where contextualization
and indigenization in mathematics education take place (Dickinson & Hough, 2012).

Emergent Model. According to Stephan et al. (2014), educators should support student
modelling by introducing new or existing tools, as well as a student-created tool to use for
understanding and explaining mathematical reasoning. Additionally, emergent modelling
plays a fundamental role in shifting the students’ knowledge and reasoning from the informal
level into a more formal mathematical concept (Anwar et al., 2012). Furthermore,
incorporating various modelling into mathematics learning improves learners' analytical and
problem-solving skills significantly (Erbas et al., 2014).

2.2. Problem-solving Skills

A lot of experts believe that the heart of education is to teach students how to think and
become problem-solver (Khoiriyah & Husamah, 2018). One of the goals in the development
of 21st-century education is acquiring problem-solving skills to be able to prepare the students
in facing the demands of life. However, challenges in problem-solving take place and are
always evident. Students frequently struggle with problem-solving because they lack a
thorough knowledge of the problem-solving process and its application in real-life contexts
(Yu et al., 2015). Thus, students should be taught using real-world scenarios to develop their
problem-solving skills that cater them with opportunities to become real problem-solvers
(Saygılı, 2017). Moreover, the four principles of problem solving includes understand the
problem, devise a plan, carry out the plan, and look back, introduced by George Polya (1949).

Understand the Problem. According to Krawec et al. (2013), understanding is one of

the variables that contribute to math problem-solving being one of the most difficult areas of
the curriculum. Is a complicated talent that not only calculates the answer, but also interprets
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and integrates the problem information, forms and retains an image of the problem, and
develops a feasible solution, which requires sophisticated thinking and strategic methods.
Moreover, the burdensome part of solving a word problem is understanding the problem,
especially the words it contains. Thus, a learner’s capability to understand and comprehend
different terms and expressions in mathematics leads to developing their ability to solve word
problems (Vula & Kurshunmlia, 2015).

Devise a plan. According to Ersoy and Güner (2014), one of the most important factors
in solving a problem is deciding on the right strategy. The use of a heuristic method, without
a doubt, improves pupils' capacity to think while solving arithmetic problems. Furthermore, by
drawing diagrams, investigating exceptional situations, specializing answers, and generalizing
solutions, a heuristic method promotes the transfer of mathematical reasoning (Hoon et al.,
2013). Hence, it fosters critical thinking and creativity, as well as the capacity to establish and
implement projects and strategies (Szabo et al., 2020).

Carry out the plan. In the study of Hoon et al. (2013), in the process of finding the
solutions of the learners, they pondered further. These methods of thought resulted in the
development of creativity by acting it out or going backward to examine the solutions.
Additionally, it develops managerial skills and the ability to achieve goals collectively, as well
as productivity and the ability to complete tasks in a reasonable amount of time. It teaches
pupils how to make the most of previous experiences (Szabo et al. 2020).

Look Back. Looking back, according to Liljedahl et al. (2016), "in memory to
previously acquired knowledge [...] and further develops knowledge in long-term memory that
may be extended in later problem-solving encounters." In summary, reflecting on the past is a
good investment in future experiences with problem-solving situations, since it establishes the
connections required later. Additionally, according to Szabo et al. (2020), this final step
demonstrates to the learner the advantages of working together to capture the problem, discuss
the solution, evaluate it, and find the best solution.

2.3. Theoretical Framework

This research was based on John Dewey's Constructivism Theory (1986).

Constructivism theory states that learners can build and develop new information through real-
world experiences and ideas. They draw on previous knowledge and apply it to new
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information. Dewey claimed that students that learn using real-world activities and
interventions display a high level of knowledge and skills in critical thinking and collaboration
(Brau, 2020).

The RME approach is a constructivist-based teaching style that encourages students to

investigate and collaborate on their learning in relation to real-world concerns (Freudenthal,
1991). Based on Hans Freudenthal's concept, the RME approach is a development of research
methodology and mathematical pedagogy (Dickinson & Hough, 2012). In 1970, the
Freudenthal Institute in the Netherlands developed this strategy. Guided reinvention, didactical
phenomenology, and emergent model are three core heuristic principles of RME in teaching
process design, according to Gravemeijer (1994) and Freudenthal (1991).

Meanwhile, problem-solving is guided by the view of George Polya for easier

understanding and a more systematic process in solving a problem (Liljedahl et al., 2016).
Understand the problem, devise a plan, carry out the plan, and look back are the four phases of
problem-solving. Moreover, Dewey believed that the ideas and processes produced by the
learners are easily gained from the experiences that have importance to them. The reason why
the study saw the potential to the adapted RME approach in increasing problem-solving skills
of the learners.

3. Methodology

3.1. Research design

The study utilized a pre-experimental research design as research method. Specifically,

one-group pre-test and post-test design. The RME approach is used as the treatment in this
study, and the group observed was the students' problem-solving skills, such as understanding,
strategizing, applying, and reflecting.

3.2. Respondents of the Study

Junior high school students enrolled in one of the schools in the Province of Batangas
in the Philippines during the academic year 2021-2022 comprised the study's population. The
sampling technique utilized in this research is clustered sampling— from the two clusters or
section of the Grade 9 in the school, random sampling was used to select the study’s
respondents with 35 Grade 9 students.
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3.3. Instrumentation

Lesson Exemplars. The researchers developed lesson exemplars that were parallel with
the K-12 most essential learning competencies (MELC) guidelines for Mathematics grade 9
for the current academic year. It was focused on various topics of trigonometry.

Pre-test and Post-test Assessments. An eight-item test that require the four-step
problem-solving method, used to evaluate the students' problem-solving abilities. Moreover, it
was assessed by a modified rubric adapted from Putra et al. (2020).

3.4. Data Collection Procedure

Implementation. After receiving clearance from the appropriate offices, the researchers
began formally applying the teaching technique and collecting data. Following it, the
researchers collaborated with the subject instructor to gain a background on the students and
the mathematics lesson where the RME approach can be used. With the assistance of the
teacher, the assessment was administered using Google Meet. The RME approach was then
incorporated, guided by its three core heuristic principles.

The researchers used guided reinvention by providing them with activities that
encourage investigation and observation in order for them to make meaning on their own. For
didactical phenomenology, real-life experiences were not only used as examples and parts of
the discussion, but the researchers let the students experience the discussion by giving them
activities that connect the topic in trigonometry to the real world. In the self-emergent model,
models or graphs were provided to support their learning and after giving some examples,
students were allowed to draw the situation on their own to familiarize and make it a routine
in every problem solving that they will encounter. Furthermore, as part of the self-emergent
model, the researchers used various online platforms and websites to incorporate tools that will
aid their learning. After utilizing the RME approach, the researcher disseminated the post-test
with the same level of questioning as the pre-test but not identical. After gathering the data,
the results were treated statistically for interpretation.

3.5. Ethical Considerations

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The study observed utmost confidentiality in dealing with respondents’ test results and
personal information. Only the researcher and thesis adviser have access to the results of the
individual data in the test questionnaires. The names of the respondents are omitted from this
study.

3.6. Statistical Treatment

The study used descriptive and inferential statistics to give the raw data collected in
this study significant meaning. The frequency and percentages were used to present descriptive
data on pre-test and post-test outcomes. Paired t-tests, on the other hand, were used to examine
the effectiveness of the RME approach on students' problem-solving skills in Mathematics.

4. Findings and Discussion

Table 1

Pre-test Performance of the Students in Problem-solving Skill

Understand the Carry out

Devise a plan Look back
Score problem the plan Interpretation
f % f % f % f %
25-32 7 20.00 - - - - - - Exemplary
17-24 13 37.14 1 2.86 - - - - Proficient
9-16 15 42.86 18 51.43 10 28.57 1 2.86 Developing
0-8 - - 16 45.71 25 71.43 34 97.14 Emerging
Total 35 100 35 100 35 100 35 100
Legend: 25-32 Exemplary; 17-24 Proficient; 9-16: Developing; 0-8: Emerging

Table 1 shows the test scores of the respondents in mathematical problem-solving skills
before exposure to the RME approach. On the result of the pre-test examinations in
understanding the problem, most of the students fall on the developing level with a total
frequency of fifteen (15) students. They can understand the various terminology and phrases
that are present in the problem, but more than two values are missing or incorrect on their
answer. This shows that most of the respondents are not familiar on the topic the reason why
they have difficulty on identifying important concept in the problem. This is supported by the
study of Vula and Kurshunmlia (2015), that if students have foreknowledge about the meaning
of the terms in a word problem, they can learn mathematical concepts and enhance necessary
mathematical understanding without obstructions.
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Moreover, seven students got an exemplary level of performance even though the topic
has not yet been discussed, because they have prior knowledge about trigonometric identities
since it was already discussed before the implementation of the study. It portrays that they have
the mastery on the basic knowledge about the topic, such as the mnemonics SOH-CAH-TOA,
which is the foundation of the succeeding MELCs in the fourth quarter of grade 9.

Furthermore, it can be distinguished from the table that when it comes to devising a
plan, more than half (51.43%) of the students are prominently under the developing level. It
implies that the majority of the students are having difficulty discerning excellent plans that
aid in their strategies, which encompasses representations of possible illustrations and
recognizing suitable methods or techniques that will direct them to the correct answer. This is
consistent with the findings of the study of Phonapichat et al. (2014), which found that students
lack organization of problem-solving processes when it comes to formula writing, wherein
they are unable to write orderly processes.

In carrying out the plan, the uttermost frequencies of the respondents are in the
emerging level, with a total of twenty-five (25) students representing 71.43% out of thirty-five
(35). It connotes that most students could not identify several strategies required to solve a
given problem, and they cease to elaborate on the processes and outcomes. They also do not
demonstrate well-reasoning in utilizing the plan. Moreover, students frequently fail in the third
step because they obviously have no clue of (or misapply) problem-solving procedures, notably
those required for problem representation. This is parallel to the findings of Dhlamini et al.
(2016) states that students who were not proficient or had a low level of proficiency in
trigonometry were those who left blank spaces and used incorrect mathematical procedures,
resulting in mathematically incorrect responses.

On a final note, almost all of the respondents, 97.14%, fall under the emerging level of
performance on looking back. It imposes that the students are either trying or unable to check
and reflect on their answers. They are experiencing difficulties examining their solutions. This
also means that most of the respondents have not been able to succeed in the antecedent steps.
It is consistent with Annizar et al. (2020)'s study, which found that some learners made
mistakes during the planning and implementation stages but did not go through the process of
looking back. This finding suggests that the step of looking back is foreign to the majority of
pupils because so few subjects actually conduct it.
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Figure 5 shows the sample answer of student no. 05 on problem number 3 of the eight-
item post-test assessment. It represents how most respondents answered the pre-test assessment
indicating a low-performance range from emerging to developing levels in each step of the
problem-solving process.

Figure 1

Sample Answer of Student No. 5 in Pre-test Assessment

The figure depicts how most learners perform at the developing level during
understanding the problem. It is clear from student no. 05's response that she was able to
identify what was asked in the problem but was unable to provide the given data in the problem.
It implies that the respondent lacks a thorough understanding of the problem and is most likely
unaware of the subject. In devising a plan, students were in the emerging to developing level.
This means that they were able to draw an illustration but were having trouble labelling the
appropriate values. In this case, they were unable to identify the appropriate formula, which is
part of the planning stage and will aid the next step.

Meanwhile, in the third phase, Student no. 5 used the wrong formula in answering the
problem. It implies that they are familiar with the concept but are impotent to apply the right
one. As a result, even though they try answering the problem, they fail to get the correct answer.
Finally, regarding the final step, most of the students did not check to see if they had gotten
the right answer. Thus, they are unlikely to have any idea of how they can reflect and draw
74 | International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, Volume 4 Issue 2

formal conclusions on their response, which is why they only write their answers in the
previous step to avoid leaving them blank.

Table 2

Post-test Performance of the Students in Problem-solving Skills

Understand the Carry out the

Devise a plan Look back
Score problem plan Interpretation
f % f % f % f %
25-32 32 91.43 24 68.57 7 20.0 10 28.57 Exemplary
17-24 3 8.57 9 25.71 15 42.86 10 28.57 Proficient
9-16 - - 2 5.72 9 25.71 6 17.15 Developing
0-8 - - - - 4 11.43 9 25.71 Emerging
Total 35 100 35 100 35 100 35 100
Legend: 25-32 Exemplary; 17-24 Proficient; 9-16 Developing; 0-8 Emerging

The table 2 highlights the great outcome of the students on their overall post-test
assessment after the treatment. On the first principle of mathematical problem-solving, out of
thirty-five (35) respondents, thirty-two have exemplary performance with a percent of 91.43%.
It shows that most students exhibit a clear and comprehensive understanding of the problem,
wherein students carefully analyzed each question in preparation for solving it and easily
determined all the given values and variables being asked. They have a broad understanding
of the topic, which explains the students' familiarity with many concepts, such as trigonometric
ratios, special angles, angle of elevation and depression, and oblique triangles. Knowing a lot
of ideas about a specific topic broadens students' reading comprehension. Consequently, they
can recognize all the factors involved in approaching the problem, which improves their
mathematical problem-solving skills. It is in line with the study of Simpol et al. (2017), who
claim that accuracy of a problem's final answer is determined by the students' ability to grasp
and extract keywords.

In devising a plan, twenty-four students corresponding to more than 2/3 of the class
(68.57%) shows an exemplary level of skill. It means that employing the RME approach
increased the respondents' performance in creating a concrete outline of strategies for solving
a problem. Students with this prominent outcome are well-learned in strategizing phase, which
includes illustrations of a possible diagram and recognizing appropriate methods or techniques
that will lead to the correct answer.
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Majority of the students in strategizing used correct, comprehensive, and appropriate

mathematical concepts as part of their problem-solving process. It indicates that high-
performing students take a different perspective to solve the given problem, displaying
multiple plans and connecting the illustrations they created to various formulas they have
encountered. Accordant with the discovery of the study of In’am (2014), enhanced strategizing
roots from the students’ experiences, as this step can be possible by making an analogy with
relatively similar problems that the students encountered.

Concerning the third phase of the problem-solving process, the majority obtained the
proficiency level with 15 respondents, representing 42.86 %. It demonstrates that the students
are skilled in executing the strategies and methods thoroughly, coming from the former step to
solve the problem. Students who perform at the proficient level can frequently recognize
multiple ways to implement the plan and have strong reasoning skills. They get the accurate
answer, but with a few steps and solutions. Students at a high level learn about trigonometry
not only by knowing the six trigonometric ratios to be used but also by executing these
formulas to find the missing value in the problem.

In terms of the looking back process, students demonstrate a mastery level with ten
students accounting for 28.57% performing at an exemplary level and ten students also
performing at a proficient level. These large frequency and percentage of students, implies that
they successfully interpret and conclude their final answer as part of the last step. They did this
step in a clear, focused, and logical manner. In addition, reflecting on their overall solution to
getting the final answer is an essential task to identifies which part of the step they overlooked
that caused incorrect answer, allowing them to return to some of the previous phases. It
explains why the majority of the respondents that have mastery of looking back got their final
answers in every problem accurate. This is parallel to the study of Thomson et al. (2021),
revealed that students compare and analyze the formula and illustrations used in word problems
involving right triangles and generate alternative solving strategies among the six
trigonometric ratios.

Figure 6 shows the sample answer of student no. 10 on problem number six of the
eight-item post-test assessment. It displays how most of the students answer the post-test with
a high-performance range from proficient to exemplary level in all phases of problem-solving.
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The figure displays how most of the students that perform at an exemplary level
respond to understanding the problem. It can observe that the majority of the respondents copy
their answers directly from the problem. Moreover, the sample problem contains unfamiliar
terms such as altitude, slant range, and angle of depression, which are only found in this area
of trigonometry. Even so, they were able to make sense of these terms. As seen in student no.
10’s answer, she identifies the word altitude as synonymous with the term height for easier
understanding.

Figure 2

Sample Answer of Student No. 10 in Post-test Assessment

Furthermore, more than 2/3 of the respondents fall under the exemplary level of
strategizing. This kind of planning provided in the figure is broad and straightforward but
accurate. Almost all students at an exemplary level have this kind of plan before solving the
problem. From this, she successfully identified the accurate formula.
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The majority of respondents demonstrated proficient level in the computing step.

Students with excellent result exhibit well-developed thought in carrying out the plans from
step 2. From the sample, due to the student’s skills and knowledge of trigonometric ratio,
students easily determined the formula and how to perform it to obtain the final answer. Thus,
by grasping all of the discussed strategies and formulas for determining the missing value, they
improved and became more motivated to handle this type of trigonometric problem. At the last
phase of problem-solving, students fall from proficient to an exemplary level of performance.
This indicates that students checked their answers carefully using the strategies they used and
correctly concluded the final answer. As seen in the figure, student no. 10 presented the formula
she used and went back to her process of calculating the angle of depression. She confirmed
that the answer was correct after determining that both sides were equal. Finally, she finished
the answer with a complete sentence that included the phrase on what was asked and the
computed value with the appropriate unit.

Table 3

Test of Difference Between the Mean Pre-test and Post-test Performance of the Students in Mathematical
Problem-Solving Skills.

Pre-test Post-test
Mathematical Problem-solving Skills t df Sig. (2-tailed)
Mean SD Mean SD
Understanding the problem 20.89 6.09 30.23 3.19 8.350 34 .000
Devising a plan 8.74 4.01 26.31 5.52 16.433 34 .000
Carrying out the plan 5.40 5.00 18.66 7.89 9.186 34 .000
Looking back 2.03 2.91 17.57 8.93 10.402 34 .000
Legend: p-value (Sig.) < 0.05 – significant, p-value (Sig.) >0.05 – Not significant.

Table 3 displays the significant difference in the respondents' mean pre-test and post-
test performance. It demonstrates that the students' mathematical problem-solving skills are
highly significant in all the four-phases of problem-solving with a computed p-value= 0.000
for all four phases. This implies that after the exposure of the RME approach, students
exhibited an improved academic outcome in problem-solving. This is in parallel with the study
of Taufina et al. (2019), who discovered that pupils taught using conventional methods
performed significantly less in problem-solving than those exposed to the RME approach.

Based on the given table, it can be gleaned that there is a highly significant difference
(p-value= 0.000) between the pre and post-test performance of the students in understanding
78 | International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, Volume 4 Issue 2

the problem. It depicts a notable improvement in their mathematical learning from a

developing level with a 20.89 mean to an exemplary level with a mean of 30.23. The students'
poor performance before treatment was caused by their confusion about the topic's specific
wordings. But through the RME approach, the discussion of every topic was more
collaborative and engaging, which improved their self-confidence. The students became more
deeply involved in each lesson, sharing their ideas in class, which increased their mathematical
skills. It resulted in their mastery of trigonometric concepts and ideas such as trigonometric
ratios, special right angles, angle of elevation and depression, and oblique triangles, allowing
them to have a more comprehensive understanding of the problem. It is parallel to the findings
of Nurjamaludin et al. (2021), which asserted that the RME approach boosts students’
confidence, which leads to the success of mathematical problem-solving.

Besides, students enhanced their reading comprehension because of the RME that
facilitates self-exploration. They investigate and explore mathematical concepts, where they
are introduced to a variety of unfamiliar terms and ideas, they eventually give meaning on their
own before the discussion begins. This explains the RME strategy's outstanding
accomplishment in the first step of problem-solving, when the respondents' understanding of
trigonometry was increased. As resonates with Afthina and Pramudya (2017), when applied to
learning models, the RME method increases students' engagement and understanding of
geometry instruction.

In terms of devising a plan, the students' mean pre-test performance (8.74) was
classified as an emerging level, whereas the mean post-test result showed a notable increase
(26.31), demonstrating an exemplary level. It also reveals the computed p-value of 0.000,
indicating a highly significant difference in the outcome before and after using the RME
approach. This essentially denotes that the utilization of the RME approach has a significant
impact on improving the strategizing skills of the learners in problem-solving. Making
connections with the students’ good work towards the second phase of problem-solving and
the RME approach can exhibit different implications. First, students' prior experiences,
according to In'am (2014), play a significant role in their problem-solving method. This
approach incorporates the students’ realities in the discussions and assessment, notably
improving the overall performance in Mathematics. Considering problem situations were
factually based on their imagination and experiences, students became more interested in the
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whole teaching and learning process, especially in solving a problem. Using contextualized
problems makes the strategizing step easier for them. They get a hint on how to approach the
problem since they relate the problem scenarios to their level of thinking and experiences. It
also explains the decreased difficulty for the students to illustrate the situation provided by the
problem as part of strategizing. This is in line with Bray and Tangney's (2016) results that
RME intervention with contextualized problems or incorporating the didactical
phenomenology, one core principle of the RME, significantly improved the skills in
mathematical problem-solving of the students, which strategizing belongs.

Second, exposing students to the treatment allows them to see the problem from a
different perspective, demonstrate several plans, and connect the illustrations they created to
various formulas they have encountered. Thus, mastery of devising a plan subject to high
creativity and critical thinking (Szabo et al., 2020). As part of the RME intervention, teachers
act as a facilitator while the students’ ideas are the center of the discussion. Students not only
shared their insights but also discovered new viewpoints in a math class from one another and
learned by analyzing each presentation and response. Thus, the RME awakens the students to
be open to different possibilities for solving a problem through various plans and strategies.
Chairil et al. (2020), who demonstrate that instructional materials based on RME principles
develop students' critical thinking skills in problem training and evaluation, support this
conclusion.

Lastly, students are required to illustrate the problem situation based on their level of
thinking and label it, as part of self-emergent model, allowing them to determine the best
formula to use. For this reason, strategizing became routine in every problem-solving task,
which leads to a more convenient illustration of the question and connecting it with the method
to use. Thus, the RME approach develops students’ strategizing and planning because of the
repeated and consistent practice. In connection with the study of Julie et al. (2013), they
operated the RME in teaching materials for the students and highlighted the principle of the
emergent model. They concluded that this technique helps students strengthen their problem-
solving skills, primarily in their capacity to plan and strategize effectively before solving
problems.

Moreover, the table shows the highly significant difference in the students' pre and
post-test mean scores (p-value= 0.000) in carrying out the plan. This implies that after the RME
80 | International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, Volume 4 Issue 2

approach, students exhibited improved academic performance in Mathematics- specifically

from emerging (5.40) to exemplary level (18.66) on the third phase of problem-solving. The
guided reinvention, promotes the students’ work and responses as the main topic of the
discussion. Hence, RME produces a student-focused classroom. This explains the
improvement in the students' communication skills. Students can express themselves, give
explanations, and listen, leading to a deeper comprehension of mathematics. The students'
participation is visible in the form of explaining the various answers, which allows them to get
familiar with and comfortable with solving other problems. Thus, RME enhanced the
communication skills of the students that take part in the improvement of their computational
skills. A similar result was discovered by Palinussa et al. (2021), where the RME approach
strengthens the students’ mathematical reasoning and communication skill that helps in
executing a formula for a problem.

Furthermore, didactical phenomenology has a significant impact on the problem-

solving process' third phase. According to Liljedahl et al. (2016), one of the reasons students
masters the computational step is the high reliance on prior knowledge and previous
experiences when solving a problem, and this is where didactical phenomenology takes place
in instructional design. Students felt they belonged in the discussion using the RME, which
made them more engaged in the conversation. It also brought their eagerness to execute and
perform the planned strategy to get the correct answer. As a result, didactical phenomenology
helps students improve their computing skills. This is also consistent with the findings of
Stephan et al. (2014), stated that when students participate in activities that are personally
meaningful to them, they become more engaged in discussions and improve their skills in
carrying out the plan.

Moreover, according to Vroom (2020), the emergent model has four stages: situational,
referential, generic, and formal. This stages bridges the students’ knowledge and reasoning
from the informal level into a more formal mathematical concept. Thus, the RME principle has
a positive impact on increasing learners’ problem-solving ability in terms of executing the
strategy. This result is parallel with the study of Anwar et al. (2012), who concluded that
emergent modelling enhanced the students’ learning process and developed their
computational skills, especially in solving contextual problems.
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In regards to the looking back process, the students' pre-test performance was the
lowest, at 2.03, falling below the emerging level, whereas their post-test performance was
remarkable, with a mean of 17.57, corresponding to proficient to exemplary. The table also
shows the highly significant difference (p-value= 0.000) in students' performance in the last
step in problem-solving before and after exposure to the RME approach. Some literature
indicates that most students rarely reflect or look back once they get their answer since this
phase is often omitted which is why it is new for the students (Thomson et al., 2021; Simpol
et al., 2017; In'am, 2014). Students that were exposed to the RME strategy, on the other hand,
excelled at this procedure and used it as a routine in every problem-solving task they
encountered. The strategy equipped the students with all of the knowledge they would need to
solve a trigonometric problem. They acquired enough skills in finding different plans and
formulas to solve a problem, increased their activeness, and became aware of different
perspectives in solving a problem. In other words, RME allows learners to employ their critical
thinking skills by reflecting on the problem. This is corroborated by Wulandari's (2020) study,
which found that the RME technique increased students' problem-solving abilities, especially
in concluding and reflecting on the final answer, through the enhancement of the critical
thinking skills as described as the ability that prompts pupils to choose the best conclusion.

Moreover, looking back process can be associated with reflective thinking where the
students should look back on their work not only for mathematical accuracy and completeness
but also for rationality and applicability. The principle of self-emergent models improves the
reflecting skills of the student because it is used to bridge the informal knowledge to formal
ones using models. This principle of the RME approach unquestionably developed the
students’ reflecting skills considering their successful performance. In connection with the
study of Junaedi and Wahyudin (2020), they revealed that the final achievement and
improvement of the the looking back process of the students is significantly better in using the
RME approach.

Lastly, students have acquired mastery of the first three steps of the problem-solving
process using the RME approach, which explains their proficiency in the looking back process.
This is in line with the result of Nurkaeti (2018), who discovered that the difficulty in looking
at the solution won't exist if the learner correctly understands the problem, appropriately plans
the solution, and successfully solves it.
82 | International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, Volume 4 Issue 2

5. Conclusion

The following are the significant findings of this study based on the data analyzed and
interpreted. The overall pre-test performance of the respondents in problem-solving skills falls
under the emerging to developing level. In understanding the problem and devising a plan,
students got developing level, while in carrying out the plan and looking back, students have
the emerging level of performance. This implies that familiarity in the topic really much
impacted the performance of the students in problem-solving. Outstanding improvement is
reflected in the post-test performance of the students after the exposure to the RME approach.
Students performed exemplary levels of performance in understanding the problem and
devising a plan. In carrying out the plan, students got the proficient level of performance. While
in looking back process, students fall under proficient and exemplary levels. This shows that
they gained enough learning that enable them to develop different skills and mastered the topic,
which contributed to the development of their problem-solving abilities. Moreover, results
showed that there is a highly significant difference between the mean pre-test and post-test
performance of the students in problem-solving, which all the four phases of problem-solving
got a computed p-value of 0.000. This revealed that the use of the RME approach increases the
level of problem-solving skills of the students, in all the four-phases.

From the obtained results, RME significantly increased the performance of the
students. This helps learners enhance and master the problem-solving ability; thus, the school
and its organization may encourage teachers to explore the RME approach to improve the
teaching-learning process. Findings also manifest that the use of RME approach is highly
interactive, and can provide the best learning experiences for the learners, therefore, teachers
may utilize it to expose their students to more engaging and collaborative learning experience
with the incorporation of real-world scenarios. They may be encouraged to use this strategy to
create learning that is more innovative and creative.

Since the study was conducted through online set-up due to the pandemic, future
researchers may conduct a similar study in a face-to-face mode of learning to comprehensively
use the RME approach. Also, it is advised to increase the number of respondents and use two
classes to have a detailed comparison between the controlled and experimental groups, which
falls under the quasi-experimental research design. Moreover, to test the usefulness of the RME
 ISSN 2719-0633 (Print) 2719-0641 (Online) | 83

approach in other aspects, they may use this parallel approach to the various disciplines of
mathematics as well as other subjects like Science and English. In addition, the future
researcher may explore each principle and characteristic uniquely found in the RME approach
and thoroughly focus on it for designing their learning exemplars. All in all, this study serves
as the foundation for future studies to extend the use of the RME approach from the local to
the global educational system.

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