Hypothetical Learning Trajectory (HLT) For Fraction Concepts Based on The Ethnomathematics of Mamasa Traditional Carving (Sura' Doti Wai) in Elementary School

This study was motivated by elementary school students’ difficulties in understanding the abstract concept of fractions, which is often taught without sufficient connection to students’ real-life experiences and local cultural contexts. This study aims to develop a Hypothetical Learning Trajectory (HLT) for learning fractions through an ethnomathematical approach using the Mamasa traditional carving Sura’ Doti Wai as a learning context. This study employed a design research approach based on the model developed by Gravemeijer and Cobb, consisting of three main stages: preliminary design, teaching experiment, and retrospective analysis. The participants were fifth-grade students at SDN 020 Saloan, Mamasa Regency, Indonesia. Data were collected through direct observation, field notes, and documentation of students’ work in Student Worksheets (LKPD). The implementation of the initial HLT in Cycle 1 revealed several learning obstacles, including difficulties in understanding formal mathematical terminology, misconceptions in determining fraction values, and difficulties in understanding the requirement that a whole must be divided into equal-sized parts. Based on these findings, the HLT was revised by simplifying the mathematical language, providing guided questions, and introducing concrete activities such as cutting, stacking, and comparing parts of the images. The implementation of the revised HLT in Cycle 2 showed that the learning obstacles were reduced and that students developed a more meaningful understanding of fractions. Students were able to identify basic geometric forms, determine parts of a whole, and understand that a fraction represents a whole divided into equal-sized parts. Therefore, the Mamasa traditional carving Sura’ Doti Wai can serve as a meaningful ethnomathematical context for developing a concrete and contextual learning trajectory for fraction concepts in elementary school.