APPLYING THE TARSIA METHOD AS ACTIVE LEARNING IN PRESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS

Puzzles are a pretty common sight in elementary classrooms, but you don’t typically see them much in secondary classrooms. I think that’s crazy! Puzzles have so many benefits, and they can even help strengthen and create new connections in our brains. That’s why I love using Tarsia puzzles to teach vocabulary! Keep reading to learn about the benefits of using puzzles in your classroom, what exactly a Tarsia puzzle is, and how you can even create your own with a set of blank Tarsia puzzle templates! This research aims to determine whether Tarsia puzzle can be used to create joyful learning of mathematics according to elementary school teachers’ perception. Forty two elementary school teachers who teach at different schools in Presidential schools. Students often find difficulties in solving mathematical problems. PISA 2018 results show that Indonesia ranked 75th out of 80 countries. Mathematical average score for Indonesia is 379. This score is still far from the global mathematical average score of 489 (OECD, 2019). Simamora et al., (2018) found that the level of students' mathematics skills was still low and students were less interested in mathematics because they faced some difficulties to understand that subject. Teachers should give a strong mathematical foundation to students from an early age.