ANALYSIS OF CRITICAL THINKING ABILITY OF STUDENTS OF THE RSBI CLASS IN HIGH SCHOOL ON MATHEMATICS PROBLEM SOLVING

Abstract

The purpose of learning mathematics in primary and secondary school is that students are expected to provide the arrangement of reasoning, critical thinking, attitude formation and the ability of application in their life and in learning various sciences (Depdiknas, 2004). Thus, students should be equipped with abilities to develop and evaluate arguments in problem-solving. One of the capabilities that must be developed to achieve these objectives is the ability to think critically. A student has the ability to think critically if it is able to analyze facts, generalize and organize ideas, defend opinions, make comparisons, draw conclusions, examine arguments, and solve problems (Chance, 1986). In addition, critical thinking skills can improve in a systematic way of thinking, awareness of thinking, and have the ability to distinguish truth from error.On the other hand, the government or local government must has at least one unit of education at all levels of education to be developed into standard international school (RSBI). Goal of this program is RSBI graduate students are expected to compete with the global knowledge for the same level as graduates from other country. Reality that mathematics teachers do not realize that students are also required to be able to think critically, so have a solid foundation for learning mathematics. To determine students' critical thinking skills through the learning of mathematics is not easy, teachers must have the courage to take the attitude by providing variation math problems, and one question that needs to be given is a mathematical problem in the real world. Polya (1973), said that problems in mathematics are the problems to find and the problem to proof Both of these types have no specific rules but the students demanded to know the data and information from the problems. Based on the special features of mathematics and related issues with the purpose of the RSBI class in high school, it can improve students' ability for critical thinking, analytical, systematic, and logical in order to find alternative solutions to problems through the exploration of empirical data in order to cuhivate a scientific attitude.