Identification of Students' Mistakes in Solving the Limit Function Problems for Class XI SMA Negeri 1 Palangka Raya

Abstract

This research is motivated by the fact that many students of class XI make mistakes in solving the Limit Function problem. The aims of this research are 1) to describe the mistakes made by the students of class XI MIPA 2 SMA Negeri 1 Palangka Raya in solving Function Limit questions; 2) describe the cause of students in class XI MIPA 2 SMA Negeri 1 Palangka Raya making mistakes in solving Function Limit questions.

The type of research used in this research is descriptive with a qualitative approach. This research was conducted in the even semester of the 2020/2021 academic year. The subjects of this study were 34 students of class XI MIPA 2 SMA Negeri 1 Palangka Raya, then 4 students were selected to be interviewed. Data collection techniques using tests and interviews. The process of taking test data online uses Google Classroom, while interviews are conducted online via WhatsApp. The test in this study was in the form of 5 items on Limit of Algebraic Functions which had previously been reviewed by three raters, namely two lecturers of the Mathematics Education Study Program at the University of Palangka Raya and one mathematics teacher at SMA Negeri 1 Palangka Raya with the result that all items could be used. Data analysis is used by reduction, data presentation, and concluding.

Based on the results of the study, the errors made by students in solving the Limit Function problems lie in the following aspects: (a) conceptual errors, including errors in understanding and applying the concept of limits consisting of definitions and theorems of limits; (b) procedural errors made by students include; errors in writing regular work steps, errors in manipulating algebraic forms, factoring and rationalizing root forms, algebraic operations and errors in calculations. The cause of errors in solving the problem of limit algebraic functions is that students do not understand and master the prerequisite material needed in learning the limit of algebraic functions. Thus causing students not to understand the concept of limits such as the use of theorems that limit algebraic functions. In addition, students are still not thorough in understanding the meaning of the problem and have not mastered the operations of numbers with different signs.