CONDUCT DISSERTATION RESEARCH AT THE FIRST HOMEBASE

Raden Fatah State Islamic University Palembang’s Mathematics Education Study Program lecturer, Arvin Efriani, successfully defended her dissertation at the open examination of the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education’s Mathematics Education Doctoral Study Program at Sriwijaya University on Friday 28 July 2023.

Arvin explained that she has been doing research with early mathematics since 2020. When she became a student in the mathematics education doctoral programme, she had only been a DTNPNS at UIN Raden Fatah Palembang for 3 months. At that time she was positioned in the homebase of the Early Childhood Islamic Education Study Programme. Under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Zulkardi, M.I.Komp., M.Sc., Prof. Dr. Ratu Ilma Indra Putri, M.Si., and Dra. Nyimas Aisyah, M.Pd., Ph.D., Arvin took the opportunity to dig deeper into mathematics in early childhood. 

“I learnt a lot from this research because learning in early childhood is different from primary, secondary or higher education, from the way of delivery to the curriculum,” she said.

In her dissertation, she created a learning environment model with the aim that prospective early childhood education teachers can teach mathematics in accordance with the theory. In the model she has made, prospective teacher students not only get a theory in lectures but also practice, but prospective PAUD teacher students can also be skilled in understanding theory, designing and practicing it with early childhood.

It is hoped that with this model, prospective PAUD teachers who will later go directly to schools to become a teacher can be trained in teaching mathematics according to the concept without leaving the essence of playing while learning. Through play, students will indirectly get learning.