DAKON MEDIA WITH GUIDED DISCOVERY TO IMPROVE PRIMARY STUDENTS’ MATHEMATICAL UNDERSTANDING AND REASONING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31949/jcp.v12i3.18077Abstract
Conceptual understanding and mathematical reasoning are essential foundations for students’ mastery of multiplication and division in primary school. The initial classroom diagnosis showed that many third-grade students still learned multiplication and division procedurally and had difficulty connecting concrete situations, visual representations, and mathematical symbols. This classroom action research aimed to improve students’ conceptual understanding and mathematical reasoning through dakon mathematics media integrated with Guided Discovery Learning and the Concrete–Representational–Abstract pathway. The study involved 31 third-grade students of SD Muhammadiyah Sapen Yogyakarta during January and February 2026 in the second semester of the 2025/2026 academic year. The action was conducted in two cycles consisting of planning, action implementation, observation, and reflection. Data were collected through conceptual understanding tests, mathematical reasoning tasks, observation sheets, and brief interviews. The findings showed that students’ conceptual mastery improved progressively. The percentage of students achieving mastery increased from 32.26% in the pre-action stage to 58.06% in Cycle I and 77.42% in Cycle II. The class average increased from 69.35 in Cycle I to 79.35 in Cycle II. Mathematical reasoning improved from a mean score of 8.71 in Cycle I to 9.68 in Cycle II. These results indicate that dakon media, when supported by guided discovery and structured representational transition, can strengthen students’ conceptual connections, justification, strategy comparison, and answer verification. The study concludes that culturally familiar manipulatives are effective when their use is integrated with reflective questioning and systematic representation.
Keywords:
dakon media, guided discovery learning, conceptual understanding, mathematical reasoning, primary mathematicsDownloads
References
Akina, A., Mufidah, M., Sani, N. K., & Astuti, G. A. M. N. (2023). Application of the guided discovery learning model to improve student learning outcomes in fractions division material. Prisma Sains: Jurnal Pengkajian Ilmu dan Pembelajaran Matematika dan IPA IKIP Mataram, 11(2), 527. https://doi.org/10.33394/j-ps.v11i2.7266
Arifin, S., Wahyudin, W., & Herman, T. (2020). The effects of contextual group guided discovery learning on students’ mathematical understanding and reasoning. Jurnal Prima Edukasia, 8(2), 106–114. https://doi.org/10.21831/jpe.v8i2.33059
Bajwa, N. P., Tobias, J. M., & Lawton, C. (2023). Children’s conceptions on the structure of an array: Using quick images as a gateway to multiplicative ideas. The Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 69, Article 101049. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmathb.2023.101049
Bell, F. H. (1981). Teaching and learning mathematics. Wm. C. Brown Company.
Bruner, J. S. (1966). Toward a theory of instruction. Harvard University Press.
Carbonneau, K. J., Marley, S. C., & Selig, J. P. (2013). A meta-analysis of the efficacy of teaching mathematics with concrete manipulatives. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105(2), 380–400. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031084
Çelik, H. C., & Özdemir, F. (2020). Mathematical thinking as a predictor of critical thinking dispositions of pre-service mathematics teachers. International Journal of Progressive Education, 16(4), 81–98. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijpe.2020.268.6
Hurst, C., & Linsell, C. (2020). Manipulatives and multiplicative thinking. European Journal of STEM Education, 5(1), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/8508
Jihan Hanifa, Z., Winarni, R., & Surya, A. (2023). Faktor yang memengaruhi keterampilan penalaran matematis di sekolah dasar: Systematic literature review. Didaktika Dwija Indria, 11(5), 30–35. https://doi.org/10.20961/ddi.v11i5.77740
Kambani, D. P., & Supriadi, S. (2024). Pengaruh pembelajaran etnomatematika melalui permainan dakon terhadap kemampuan pemahaman matematis materi perkalian siswa kelas III sekolah dasar. Jurnal Cendekia: Jurnal Pendidikan Matematika, 9(1), 249–261. https://doi.org/10.31004/cendekia.v9i1.3814
Kemmis, S., McTaggart, R., & Nixon, R. (2014). The action research planner: Doing critical participatory action research. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4560-67-2
Khatulistiwa, P. S. A., Kartinah, K., & Wijayanti, A. (2024). Pengembangan media dakon untuk perkalian dan pembagian matematika pada siswa SD. Kognitif: Jurnal Riset HOTS Pendidikan Matematika, 4(2), 735–747. https://doi.org/10.51574/kognitif.v4i2.1871
Kilpatrick, J., Swafford, J., & Findell, B. (2001). Adding it up: Helping children learn mathematics. National Academy Press.
Kim, J. (2025). How representations support young students’ conceptual understanding of multiplication? A study on exploring third-grade students’ representational reasoning. Asian Journal for Mathematics Education, 4(3), 311–331. https://doi.org/10.1177/27527263251335686
Livy, S., Bobis, J., Downton, A., Russo, J., & Sullivan, P. (2025). Supporting mathematical reasoning: Exploring questioning moves in a year 1 classroom using student work samples. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-025-00527-2
Mabhoza, Z., Babawande, A., & Olawale, E. (2024). Chronicling the experiences of mathematics learners and teachers on the usage of Guided Discovery Learning (GDL) in enhancing learners’ academic performance. Research in Social Sciences and Technology. https://doi.org/10.46303/ressat.2024.8
Melaningsih, M., Ananda, M., Pahmi, S., & Kondologit, M. (2023). Congklak learning media to increase student learning motivation in class 2 elementary school. Proceedings of the International Conference on Education, 3–14. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-088-6_2
Mukuka, A., Balimuttajjo, S., & Mutarutinya, V. (2023). Teacher efforts towards the development of students’ mathematical reasoning skills. Heliyon, 9(4), Article e14789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14789
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics. NCTM.
Piaget, J. (1952). The origins of intelligence in children. International Universities Press.
Rahmawati, E., Zulfiati, H. M., & Wijayanto, Z. (2025). Etnomatematika berbasis permainan congklak sebagai strategi pembelajaran matematika untuk meningkatkan nilai sosial dan budaya siswa sekolah dasar. Jurnal Basicedu, 9(4), 934–944. https://doi.org/10.31004/basicedu.v9i4.10041
Ramadhani, M. H., Kartono, & Haryani, S. (2023). The effectiveness of the discovery learning model assisted by the mathematics learning module on mathematical problem-solving skills. JPI (Jurnal Pendidikan Indonesia), 12(4), 741–752. https://doi.org/10.23887/jpiundiksha.v12i4.65284
Sidney, P. G., Shirah, J. F., Blake, J., & Kruczkowski, A. L. (2023). Adaptive variability in children’s conceptual models of division. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 236, Article 105743. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105743
Syawahid, M. (2022). Elementary students’ functional thinking in solving context-based linear pattern problems. Beta: Jurnal Tadris Matematika, 15(1), 37–52. https://doi.org/10.20414/betajtm.v15i1.497
Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Yayuk, E., Purwanto, As’Ari, A. R., & Subanji. (2020). Primary school students’ creative thinking skills in mathematics problem solving. European Journal of Educational Research, 9(3), 1281–1295. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.9.3.1281
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Yunia Kurniasih, Fery Muhamad Firdaus, Setiawan Edi Wibowo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
