Profiling Junior High School Students' Mathematical Literacy Difficulties in Solving Contextual Mathematical Problems

Mathematical literacy is an essential competence that enables students to use mathematical knowledge to understand, solve, and evaluate problems arising in real-life situations. However, students often experience difficulties when solving contextual problems that require them to move beyond procedural calculations toward mathematical reasoning, representation, and interpretation. This study aims to profile the mathematical literacy difficulties of seventh-grade students in solving contextual mathematical problems and to identify aspects that require further instructional support. A descriptive quantitative approach was employed involving 20 seventh-grade students from SMP Negeri 1 Tallunglipu, North Toraja, Indonesia. Data were collected using a context-based essay test on algebraic expressions developed with reference to the mathematical literacy processes in the PISA framework. Students’ responses were analyzed based on their ability to understand and formulate problems, construct mathematical representations, employ mathematical concepts and procedures, communicate mathematical reasoning, and interpret results within the given context. The findings indicate that students experienced substantial difficulties in connecting contextual information with appropriate mathematical representations. Of the 20 students, 10 (50%) were categorized as requiring further guidance, 8 (40%) as having sufficient ability, and only 2 (10%) as having good ability; no students reached the very good category. The most prominent difficulties were found in identifying relevant information, formulating mathematical models, selecting appropriate solution strategies, communicating mathematical reasoning, and interpreting mathematical results in relation to the original context. These findings suggest that mathematics instruction should provide more systematic opportunities for students to engage in contextual problem solving through activities involving understanding situations, mathematization, reasoning, communication, and reflection on solutions.