THE DEVELOPMENT OF MATHEMATICAL THINKING THROUGH REALISTIC MATHEMATICS EDUCATION (RME) ON THE TOPIC OF GRAPHS AND LINEAR RELATIONSHIPS FOR GRADE 7 STUDENTS

Abstract

This action research aimed to study 1) explore guidelines for developing students’ mathematical thinking through learning management based on Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) on the topic of graphs and linear relationships, and 2) examine the outcomes of students’ mathematical thinking development through such learning management. The sample was 40 Grade 7students from a district secondary school in Nong Phai District, Phetchabun Province, during the second semester of the 2025 academic year. They were selected by purposive sampling. This study employed a classroom action research design with three PAOR cycles. The research instruments included lesson plans based on RME, reflective journals on learning management, activity worksheets, and a mathematical thinking assessment test. Data were analyzed using content analysis. The research results were found as follows; 1) The learning management approach should emphasize presenting real-life situations that are closely related to students by using school-based contexts. Students should be given opportunities to engage in hands-on activities that lead to the construction of mathematical models. In addition, students should be encouraged to exchange ideas within small groups to verify the correctness of their work before presenting it to the whole class. 2) Most students demonstrated the highest level of mathematical thinking in problem-solving, followed by reasoning, and then representation, respectively. These findings are consistent with the results from the mathematical thinking assessment, which indicate overall improvement in students’ development, particularly in problem-solving and reasoning. Although students showed positive progress in representation, this aspect still requires further enhancement.