The Effect of Realistic Mathematics Approach and Self-Efficacy on Students’ Mathematical Problem Solving Ability in Fifth Grade Student of Gracia Sustain Private Elementary School Medan

This study aims to determine: (1) the effect of realistic mathematics approach on student mathematics problem-solving ability; (2) the effect of self-efficacy on student mathematics problem-solving ability; (3) the interaction between realistic mathematics approach and self-efficacy on student mathematics problem-solving ability. This research is a quasi-experimental research. The population research is students of class V-A, V-B, and V-C Gracia Sustain Private Elementary School. The sample in this research is class V-A as the control class that consists of 30 students which were taught using the conventional approach and for class V-B for the experimental class which was taught using realistic mathematics approach. The instruments used were: (1) mathematics problem-solving test, that was essay test; (2) self-efficacy questionnaire sheet. These instruments had fulfilled the terms of validity and reliability coefficient. The findings of the research showed that: (1) there are effects of realistic mathematics approach towards student mathematics problem-solving ability. It is shown by the mathematics problem-solving outcomes of students who received the realistic mathematics approach got mean score as 78,37 while the mathematics problem-solving outcomes of student who received the conventional approach got mean score as 67,70; (2) based on the results of data calculations can be seen that the mathematics problem-solving ability on students who have high self-efficacy got mean score as 79,38 while the mathematics problem-solving ability on students who have low self-efficacy got the mean score as 64,18; and (3) the hypothesis result testing showed that there is no interaction between the use of realistic mathematics approach and self-efficacy towards students mathematics problem-solving ability.