Junior High School Students’ Mathematical Representation Skills in Solving Data and Diagram Problems: The Gap Between Verbal, Visual, and Symbolic Representations

Abstrak

Mathematical representation ability is an essential competency that enables students to express and communicate mathematical ideas through visual, symbolic, and verbal forms, particularly in topics involving data and diagrams. However, previous studies on this topic remain limited and often rely on a single data source. This study aims to describe the mathematical representation ability of Grade VII junior high school students in solving data-and-diagram problems based on visual, symbolic, and verbal indicators. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed, involving 39 students from a state junior high school in Pekanbaru. Data were collected through tests, classroom observations, interviews, and documentation, then analyzed using an interactive model comprising data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results showed that the majority of students of were in the moderate ability category. Verbal representation achieved the highest average score (70.19%), followed by visual representation (55.68%), while symbolic representation obtained the lowest achievement (51.60%). Students were generally able to explain solutions verbally but experienced greater difficulty applying mathematical symbols, formulas, and procedures, particularly in converting data into pie charts. Classroom participation was not consistently aligned with representation ability. These findings suggest the need for more varied instructional strategies to strengthen students' symbolic and visual representation skills.

Kata kunci

• data and diagrams
• junior high school students
• mathematical representation ability
• symbolic representation