From Learning Obstacles to Instructional Design: Bridging Theory and Practice in Algebra Education through Didactical Design Research
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31949/ijeir.v4i2.15308Abstract
This study aims to investigate the epistemological, ontogenic, and didactical obstacles encountered by junior secondary students in understanding algebraic operations and to propose a didactical design to overcome these barriers. Drawing on the Didactical Design Research (DDR) methodology, this qualitative research involved 25 Grade VII students and one mathematics teacher at MTs Negeri 1 Majalengka, West Java, during the 2024/2025 academic year. Data were collected through diagnostic tests, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis, employing purposive sampling to capture a range of student difficulties. The findings reveal that epistemological obstacles—rooted in students’ prior arithmetic reasoning and symbolic misconceptions—were the most dominant, followed by ontogenic limitations in abstract thinking and didactical constraints embedded in instructional materials. Based on these insights, a Hypothetical Didactical Design (HDD) was constructed using contextual problems, semiotic tools (e.g., algebra tiles), reflective tasks, and explicit instructional focus on algebraic properties. The design facilitated students’ shift from procedural to structural understanding of algebra, aligning instructional techniques with mathematical epistemology. The study contributes to bridging the gap between theoretical constructs and classroom practices in mathematics education, especially in addressing misconceptions through conceptually informed interventions. The paper includes 5 tables, 3 figures, and 58 references, offering theoretical grounding and empirical clarity for future studies, curriculum development, and teacher education.
Keywords:
Learning obstacles, Algebraic operations, Didactical Design Research (DDR), Junior Secondary MathematicsDownloads
References
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