Investigating students’ mathematical literacy: How students solve PISA-like problems in the Jambi context
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29408/jel.v12i2.34156Keywords:
jambi's context, mathematical literacy, mathematical process, PISA-like problemsAbstract
Despite its central role in preparing students to solve real-world problems, students’ mathematical literacy remains insufficiently understood, particularly regarding the cognitive processes involved in context-based problem solving. As emphasised in the PISA framework, mathematical literacy involves the ability to formulate, employ, and interpret mathematics in meaningful contexts. However, prior studies have largely focused on students’ final answers and rarely examined these processes within local cultural contexts, including Jambi, where students’ mathematical literacy remains relatively low. Addressing this gap, this study analyses students’ mathematical literacy processes using Jambi-based contextual tasks. A qualitative descriptive design involved 24 seventh-grade junior secondary school students selected through purposive sampling, representing high, moderate, and low ability levels. Data were collected through PISA-like written tests and semi-structured interviews, and analysed using the mathematical literacy framework focusing on formulate, employ, and interpret–evaluate processes. The results show that 68.06% of students were able to formulate problems, 52.78% employed mathematical procedures, and only 34.72% interpreted and evaluated solutions appropriately. These findings indicate students’ difficulties in connecting mathematical results with contextual meanings. The study highlights the importance of process-oriented assessment and culturally contextualised tasks to strengthen students’ interpretative and evaluative competencies in mathematical literacy.
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