When Chalkboards Outlast Projectors: A Qualitative Exploration of Instructional Media Utilization by Mathematics Teachers in Indonesian Junior High Schools

Abstrak

Instructional media are widely recognized as a fundamental component of effective mathematics learning, yet their actual utilization by classroom teachers remains underexplored in resource-constrained school contexts. This qualitative descriptive study investigated how mathematics teachers at SMP Negeri 10 Kendari, Indonesia, utilized instructional media. Five mathematics teachers served as primary informants, while six students provided supplementary data through questionnaires. Data were gathered through passive participatory observation, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires, and analyzed using Miles and Huberman's interactive model comprising data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing with methodological triangulation for credibility. The findings revealed that teacher utilization of instructional media was minimal and largely confined to textbooks and student worksheets (LKPD). Digital media such as PowerPoint and Google Meet were used during the COVID-19 pandemic period but discontinued upon return to face-to-face instruction. The primary barrier was a severe shortage of LCD projectors, with only one unit shared among five teachers. Despite limited exposure, student questionnaire data indicated that media usage positively influenced learning motivation and comprehension, with 83.3% of student respondents categorized as 'fairly good' in understanding media benefits. These findings underscore the critical role of school infrastructure investment and teacher creativity in optimizing media-based mathematics instruction in under-resourced settings.

Kata kunci

• Mathematics Learning
• instructional media
• school infrastructure
• teacher practice