The Effect of the RME Approach with the TAI Learning Model on Divergent Thinking Ability and Self-Confidence of Junior High School Students

The purpose of this research is to describe the effect of the RME approach with the TAI learning model on the divergent thinking ability and self-confidence of junior high school students, as well as to explain the advantages of this learning approach compared to learning that only uses the RME approach in terms of divergent thinking ability and self-confidence. This study is a quasi-experimental research with a population of all eighth-grade students at SMP Negeri 2 Jonggat for the 2023/2024 academic year. The sample selection used purposive random sampling. Two classes were chosen from four classes, namely class VIII A and VIII B. From these two classes, a random draw was conducted, resulting in class VIII A being the experimental class 1, which used the RME approach with the TAI learning model, and class VIII B being the experimental class 2, which used only the RME approach. The instruments used to collect data were divergent thinking ability test questions and a self-confidence questionnaire. Instrument validation was done using content validation through expert judgments by calculating Aiken's V validity index. Meanwhile, the instrument reliability estimation used Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Statistical tests were used to see the simultaneous effect of the RME approach with the TAI learning model on the divergent thinking ability and self-confidence of students, and these were Multivariate Analyses of Variance (MANOVA). To see the partial effect of the RME approach with the TAI learning model on divergent thinking ability and self-confidence, the independent sample t-test was used. The results of study at a 5% significance level showed that learning using the RME approach with the TAI learning model had a simultaneous effect on the divergent thinking ability and self-confidence of junior high school students. Learning using the RME approach with the TAI learning model had a partial effect on divergent thinking ability. Learning using the RME approach with the TAI learning model had a partial effect on self-confidence.