TEACHERS’ DIFFICULTIES AND STRATEGIES IN PHYSICS TEACHING AND LEARNING THAT APPLYING MATHEMATICS

Abstract

In a teaching and learning process, the mastery of mathematics would support students in learning physics. The aim of the research is to analyse the difficulties of physics teachers’ in conducting teaching and learning process that demands the requirements of mathematical concepts in senior high schools. The research was a qualitative research using phenomenological approach. The data were collected through focus group discussion (FGD) that involved 15 teachers from public and private senior high schools in the Kudus Regency, the Province of Central Java, Indonesia. The analysis was conducted by applying the Bogdan & Biklen model. The results of the research showed several findings if there had been problems of un-synchronism in the material orders of mathematics and physics that hindered the teaching and learning process. The strategies that physics teachers had applied individually are teaching mathematics materials as prerequisite first and making module collaboratively. The new arrangement of teaching and learning materials in mathematics and physics are needed to cover the problems. Keywords: mathematics mastery, physics teaching, learning process, difficulties and strategies.