Cognitive Styles and Mathematics Absorption Capacity in
Islamic Junior High School
Nuralam
Mathematics Education Department, UIN Ar-Raniry, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Keywords: Cognitive Style, Field Independent, Field Dependent, Mathematics Absorption Capacity.
Abstract: This study aimed at determining of the cognitive styles and mathematics absorption capacity in Islamic
Junior High School. This research was conducted at MTsN Model Banda Aceh which consists of 72
respondents, taken randomly by using cluster sampling. The data was collected by using related test
techniques, such as cognitive style test with GEFT test and mathematics learning test. Moreover, the
analysis data uses descriptive analysis and inferential analysis. The results show that the data on the
distributions are normal and homogenous. Based on ANOVA analysis result, the path of mathematics
learning outcomes of students who have a cognitive field independent style had a higher score than
student’s learning outcomes with cognitive field dependent style. This research recommends a teacher to
create an effective mathematics learning system by considering the student’s cognitive style to optimize the
learning mathematics outcome.
1 INTRODUCTION
Renewing or innovating in the field of education on
an ongoing basis is one way to improve the quality
of Indonesia's human resources. One of the reforms
carried out by the government is mathematics
education in schools through relevant advanced
study programs, efficient and effective training and
upgrading, improving curriculum and providing
more adequate learning facilities. Quality
improvement will create superior Indonesian people
to face and to respond to problems in the future.
The quality of mathematics education in school
is still very low. This is one of the measurements
that of the quality of mathematics learning outcomes
is still not optimally reached. Educational
achievement in Indonesia is still far below other
Asian countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Japan,
and Vietnam. Based on the data from the World
Economic Forum (WEF) which publishes the annual
report of The Global Competitiveness Report 2012-
2013, which presents data that among ASEAN
countries, after Singapore, the highest country
competitiveness in 2012 was Malaysia (25th),
followed Brunei Darussalam (28th), Thailand (38th).
Indonesia is in fourth place with 50th position. In
2012 Indonesia experienced a decline in the global
competitiveness index, from the 46th position in
2011 to the 50th in 2012. The comprehensive
competitiveness index created by WEF can be a
reference to determine the improvements that need
to be made (Darwanto, 2012:2)it at so the case of
education position in Aceh in 2012 in comparison to
other provinces in Indonesia, the quality of
education in Aceh was still very low. Based on data
released by the Ministry of Education and Culture's
National Education Standards Agency (BSNP) in
2012, Aceh Province at the junior secondary level is
ranked 21st nationally, while MTs is ranked 26th
nationally. In general, it can be said that the passing
rate of Aceh Province is still below the national
average (Gam, 2012).
The quality of mathematics education in
Indonesia is still relatively low in the PISA
(Program for International Student Assessment)
program which aims atmeasuring students' abilities
in the fields of reading, mathematics, and science.
Based on the results of the PISA test in 2009,
Indonesian mathematics student was found that
nearly half of students could not solve on the simple
problems, one third of the student could only solve
contextual problems and only 0.1% were able to
work on mathematical modeling that required
thinking and reasoning skills (Wijaya, 2012).
Nuralam, .
Cognitive Styles and Mathematics Absorption Capacity in Islamic Junior High School.
DOI: 10.5220/0008516900410045
In Proceedings of the International Conference on Mathematics and Islam (ICMIs 2018), pages 41-45
ISBN: 978-989-758-407-7
Copyright
c
 2020 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
41

When viewed from mathematics learning
activities at school, the reality is that the teachers are
more active than the students. Mathematics learning
tends to be teacher-centered thatbring about the
students becoming lazy and lack of enthusiasm in
mathematics. Learning is no more than delivering
information. Consequently,the students easily forget
and cannot use math in their lives. Students are
being treated as learning objects and the teacher
presents more mathematics material with concepts
or standard procedures. Accordingly,
communication is only one direction in learning
mathematics. This condition according to Rusman
(2012) reflects the lack of professionalism of
teachers and results in students' reluctance to learn.
Looking at this condition, in terms of learning
technology, the teacher is not able to design
mathematics learning well.
A good mathematics learning plan must pay
attention to the conditions and choose a suitable
strategy in order to improve the quality of learning
and certainly will improve students' mathematics
learning outcomes. Mathematics learning that is
designed must include and analyze all variables that
affect learning both theoretically and empirically.
According to Reigeluth (1996) there are three
components that influence the occurrence of
learning behavior, namely learning conditions,
learning methods and learning outcomes.
Components of learning methods play an important
role in determining the quality of learning. For
example, the quality of mathematics learning is
determined by certain variables and is used as the
basis for the teacher's work.
The acquisition of mathematics learning
outcomes is influenced by the ability of teachers in
recognizing and understanding the characteristics of
their students. A teacher who can recognize the
characteristics of students will help to learn
mathematics that is effective and efficient. Features
of students include parts of learning conditions and
influence the occurrence of student learning
behavior.
Observing the variables of learning behavior
above, namely the condition of learning in the form
of characteristics of students as the subject of
learning, each student has specific features. One
characteristic of students who can determine the
quality of mathematics learning outcomes and still
need research is cognitive style. Cognitive style is
related to the way a person receives and processes
information. Cognitive style specifically is the
characteristic of an individual in receiving and
organizing information (Sternberg, 2009).
Based on the description that has been stated, the
acquisition of optimal mathematics learning
outcomes by paying attention to students' cognitive
style. Therefore, it is necessary to study in the form
of a study of cognitive style on the learning capacity
of mathematics. The formulation of the problem in
this study are: (1) Does the cognitive style of
students influence student mathematics learning
outcomes? and (2) Are there differences in
mathematics learning outcomes of students who
have independent field cognitive styles and students
who have a field dependent cognitive style? The
results of this study are theoretically expected to
contribute to the learning of school mathematics,
especially in the approach to learning mathematics
and its relationship to students' cognitive style.
Practically the results of this study can be useful for
mathematics teachers, students, and researchers in
the field of mathematics education.
Cognitive style refers to the way a person
processes, stores and uses the information to respond
to a task or respond to various types of
environmental situations. Referred to as style and
not ability because it refers to how someone
processes information and solves problems and not
refers to how the process of resolution is best.
Cognitive style is related to the way a person
receives and processes information.
Cognitive style of students plays an important
role in the meaningfulness of learning. Hansen
(1995) states that cognitive style is described as the
way a person obtains information but does not show
the content of information but only how the brain
perceives and processes information. The same thing
is in the opinion of Riding & Rayner (1998) that
cognitive style describes the habit of behaving
relatively in a person in accepting, thinking about
problem-solving, and in storing information.
Everyone has a certain way that is relatively
consistent in processing information, how to
remember, think and solve problems. One type of
cognitive style that receives information is field
dependent (FD) and field independent (FI). To
determine the type of cognitive style of students,
whether including the dependent field cognitive
style (FD) or the field independent cognitive style
(FI), Witkin et al. (1977) have developed an
instrument in the form of simple images in a
complex pattern called the Embedded Group Test
(GEFT).
One cognitive style that influences individual
characteristics is the independent field cognitive
style. Yousefi (2011) states several characteristics of
individuals who have independent field cognitive
ICMIs 2018 - International Conference on Mathematics and Islam
42

styles, including: (1) having the ability to analyze to
separate objects from the surrounding environment,
so that the perception is not affected if the
environment changes; (2) has the ability to organize
objects that have not been organized and reorganized
objects that have been organized; (3) it tends to be
less sensitive, cold, maintain distance from others,
and individualistic; (4) choose a profession that can
be done individually with material that is more
abstract or requires theory and analysis; (5) tend to
define their own goals, and (6) it tends to work with
emphasis on intrinsic motivation and are more
influenced by intrinsic reinforcement.
From these characteristics, it can be seen that
individuals who have independent field cognitive
style have a tendency in stimulus responses using
their perceptions and are more analytical.
Furthermore Riding& Rayner (1998) describes the
learning conditions that allow students who have the
maximum independent field cognitive learning style,
among others: (1) learning that provides an
individualized learning environment; (2) more
opportunities for learning are provided and discover
for themselves a concept or principle; (3) more
resources and learning materials are provided; (4)
learning gives little guidance and purpose; (5)
prioritizing instruction and goals individually; (6) an
opportunity to create a summary, pattern, or concept
map based on his thinking. A person with
independent field cognitive style tends to state a
loose picture of the background of the picture, and is
able to distinguish objects from the surrounding
context more easily.
In addition to independent field cognitive styles,
the cognitive styles which can affect individuals are
field dependent cognitive styles. Slameto (2010)
clarifies some characteristics of individuals who
have a field dependent cognitive style, including: (1)
it tends to think globally, view objects as a whole
with their environment, so that their perceptions are
easily affected by environmental changes; (2) it
tends to accept the existing structure because it lacks
the ability to restructure; (3) has a social orientation,
so that it looks kind, friendly, wise, kind and loving
towards other individuals; (4) tend to choose
professions that emphasize social skills; (5) it tends
to follow existing goals; and (6) it tends to work by
prioritizing external motivation and more interested
in external reinforcement, in the form of gifts, praise
or encouragement from others.
From these characteristics it appears that field
dependent individuals tend to respond to a stimulus
using environmental conditions as the basis of their
perception, and tend to view a pattern as a whole and
not separate its parts. A person who has a field-
dependent cognitive style receives something
globally and has difficulty separating himself from
his surroundings.
From the various views above, it can be observed
that individuals who have a field dependent
cognitive style are individuals who tend to think
globally, view objects and their environment as a
single, socially oriented, prefer a structured
environment, and prioritize motivation and external
reinforcement. Individuals with field-dependent
cognitive style in learning want are: 1) well-
structured learning material, 2) well-structured
learning objectives, 3) external motivation, 4)
external reinforcement and 5) teacher guidance or
guidance.
The hypothesis of this study is as follows:
students'mathematics learning outcomes who have
independent field cognitive style are higher than
students' mathematics learning outcomes who have
field-dependent cognitive style.
2 METHODS
This research was conducted at MTsN Model Banda
Aceh in 2015. This study used survey research. The
populations was all students of Banda Aceh Model
grade VIII students who spread to several classes
and conducted in the odd semester of 2015. The
sample was taken by cluster random sampling
technique by selecting classes randomly as
experimental class and control class. There are 396
students joined in 11 (eleven) classes in an
affordable population were previously randomized
to placement in a new class (class VIII). Sampling is
done through 2 (two) stages. In the first phase, 4
(four) classes were randomly selected from the
sample frame of 11 (eleven) classes. In the second
stage, each group is divided into two, namely a
group consisting of students who have an
independent field cognitive style and a group of
students who have a field dependent cognitive style.
The students' cognitive style was measured using a
cognitive style test instrument in the form of an
Embedded Group Test (GEFT) developed by Witkin
et al. (1977). As many as 27% of the upper group are
expressed as groups that have independent field
cognitive styles. While 27% of the bottom group is
expressed as a group that has a field-dependent
cognitive style. So that the students obtained data as
many as 18 students had independent field cognitive
style and 18 students who had a field-dependent
Cognitive Styles and Mathematics Absorption Capacity in Islamic Junior High School
43

cognitive style which was spread in 4 (four) groups
of students.
Data on mathematics learning outcomes is
obtained through instruments made to measure
student learning outcomes in mathematics in the
form of written tests with objective forms of
multiple-choice tests. The validity measurement in
this research instrument is Biserial correlation
formula, and reliability testing is the KR-20 formula.
The results of the research data were analyzed by
descriptive analysis and inferential analysis. Data
analysis requirements were tested for data normality
with Lilliefors test technique. We use the Fisher test
and Bartlett test in the homogeneity test of variance.
The test results of the analysis requirements show
that the data is normally distributed and
homogeneous. Research hypothesis testing used
one-way ANOVA at a significant level of α = 0.05.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Descriptive analysis results from the data of
mathematics learning outcomes are presented as
follows. Data on mathematics learning outcomes of
MTs students who have independent field cognitive
style as a whole, from 36 students taken as samples
obtained scores obtained by students have a range
(R) = 11 (spread from 7 to 18). Calculation of
descriptive statistics found that the maximum score
= 18, minimum score = 7, mean value = 13.111,
median = 12.75, mode = 12.00, standard deviation =
3.040 and variance = 9.244.
Table 1. Distribution of frequency of student mathematics
learning outcomes that have cognitive style in independent
fields.
Interval
F
i
F
relative
7 - 8
9 - 10
11 - 12
13 - 14
15 - 16
17 – 18
2
6
9
8
5
6
5.56%
16.67%
25.00%
22.22%
13.88%
16.67%
36
100%
Based on Table 1, it was found that the scores of
students' mathematics learning outcomes in the
average class were 8 people (22.22%), scores of
students under average mathematics learning were
17 people (47.23%), and scores of mathematics
learning outcomes above average students were 11
people (30.55%).
Furthermore, the data of mathematics learning
outcomes of MTs students who have a field
dependent cognitive style as a whole, from 36
students taken as a sample obtained scores obtained
by students have a range (R) = 10 (spread from 6 to
16). Calculation of descriptive statistics found that
the maximum score = 16, minimum score = 6, mean
value = 10.861, median = 10.77, mode = 10.5,
standard deviation = 2.497 and variance = 6.237.
Table 2. Distribution of frequency of student mathematics
learning outcomes that have cognitive style independent
fields.
Interval
F
i
F
relative
6 – 7
8 - 9
10 - 11
12 - 13
14 - 15
16 – 17
2
9
11
9
4
1
5.56%
25.00%
30.56%
25.00%
11.11%
2.77%
36
100%
Based on Table 2, it was found that the scores of
students'mathematics learning outcomes in the
average class were 11 people (30.56%), the score of
students' mathematics learning outcomes was below
an average of 11 people (30.56%), and the score of
mathematics learning outcomes above average
students were 14 people (38.88%).
Based on the results of testing the requirements
of the analysis in the form of data normality test
using Lilliefors Test, it was found that overall of the
student data group compared to the L
o
price was
smaller than the L
t
price (α = 0.05). This shows that
the overall data group of students is normally
distributed. Furthermore, the results of the analysis
of the requirements of the analysis in the form of
variance homogeneity test using Fisher Test on the
group of students who have different cognitive styles
obtained that the overall price of F is smaller than
F
table
(α = 0.05). This shows that the two data groups
overall students have homogeneous variances.
A summary of the ANOVAresult in one line of
mathematics learning outcomes is presented in Table
3. Based on Table 3, the results of data analysis with
one-way ANOVA, it can be explained that the
hypothesis testing, students' mathematics learning
outcomes that have independent field cognitive style
is higher than the mathematics learning outcomes of
students who have field-dependent cognitive style.
From the calculation results obtained that F
count
=
11.1 and F
table
= 3.9 for df = 71 and a significant
level of α = 0.05 obtained F
count
greater than F
table
is
11.1 > 3.9. This means testing the hypothesis
ICMIs 2018 - International Conference on Mathematics and Islam
44

rejecting H
0
and accepting H
1
, so that the
mathematics learning outcomes of students who
have independent field cognitive style are higher
than the mathematics learning outcomes of students
who have field-dependent cognitive style. This can
be observed from the average mathematics learning
outcomes of students who have independent field
cognitive style higher than the average mathematics
learning outcomes of students who have a field
dependent cognitive style that is 

  


 .
Table 3. Summary of one-line ANOVAcalculation results.
Various
Resources
df
SS
MS
F
c
F
table
α = 0.05
Between
line (b)
1
71.1
71.1
11.1
3.9
In the group
70
435.6
6.4
Total
correction
71
632.9
where df: degrees of freedom, SS: the sum of square, MS:
mean Squares, F
c
: F
count
.
The hypothesis test results reject the null
hypothesis which states that there is no difference in
mathematics learning outcomes in groups of
students who have independent field cognitive styles
and groups of students who have a field dependent
cognitive style. So there are differences in learning
outcomes between groups of students who have
independent field cognitive style and groups of
students who have a field dependent cognitive style,
namely the mathematics learning outcomes of
students who have independent field cognitive style
is higher than the mathematics learning outcomes of
students who have field-dependent cognitive style.
4 CONCLUSIONS
Based on the hypothesis test, it was found that
students'mathematics learning outcomes who had
independent field cognitive style were higher than
students' mathematics learning outcomes who had a
field-dependent cognitive style. This finding
identifies that students who have an independent
field cognitive style are more successful in learning
mathematics.
The choice of appropriate mathematics learning
approach by considering the cognitive style of
students can optimize mathematics learning
outcomes. Research implications that are learning
mathematics that teachers need to pay attention to
the characteristics of students in learning which in
this case is cognitive style. Cognitive style becomes
an important factor when the teacher designs
mathematics learning and is synergized in the
process of learning mathematics in school.
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