<![CDATA[Pemahaman Konsep Matematika (PKM) merupakan kemampuan kognitif fundamental yang memungkinkan siswa memahami makna dan keterkaitan antarkonsep matematika. Namun, sejumlah penelitian menunjukkan bahwa PKM siswa Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) masih tergolong rendah akibat pembelajaran yang cenderung menekankan hafalan dan prosedur rutin. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji efektivitas Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) terhadap PKM siswa kelas XI SMA melalui perbandingan pretest dan posttest serta mengeksplorasi pengalaman belajar siswa selama penerapan RME menggunakan pendekatan mixed methods. Partisipan penelitian terdiri atas 62 siswa kelas XI di salah satu SMA negeri di Kota Tarakan yang terbagi ke dalam kelompok eksperimen dan kelompok kontrol. Data kuantitatif dikumpulkan melalui tes PKM, sedangkan data kualitatif diperoleh melalui wawancara semi-terstruktur. Data kuantitatif dianalisis menggunakan N-Gain dan independent samples t-test, sedangkan data kualitatif dianalisis secara tematik. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kedua kelompok mengalami peningkatan PKM, tetapi tidak terdapat perbedaan peningkatan yang signifikan secara statistik antara kelompok RME dan PK (Pembelajaran Konvensional). Walaupun demikian, temuan kualitatif menunjukkan bahwa RME meningkatkan motivasi belajar, mendorong siswa membangun pemahaman konsep secara bertahap melalui konteks nyata, serta membantu memahami alasan penggunaan prosedur matematika. Temuan ini mengimplikasikan bahwa evaluasi efektivitas RME sebaiknya tidak hanya didasarkan pada hasil tes, tetapi juga pada perubahan proses belajar dan perkembangan pemahaman konsep siswa. Kata kunci: mixed methods, pemahaman konsep matematika, pendidikan matematika realistik. Abstract: Mathematical conceptual understanding (MCU) is a fundamental cognitive ability that enables students to understand the meaning of mathematical concepts and the relationships among them. However, several studies have shown that high school students’ MCU remains relatively low because instruction tends to emphasize memorization and routine procedures. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) in improving eleventh-grade students’ MCU by comparing pretest and posttest results and to explore students’ learning experiences during the implementation of RME using an embedded-experimental mixed methods approach. The participants were 62 eleventh-grade students from a public high school in Tarakan, divided into an experimental group and a control group. Quantitative data were collected using an MCU test, while qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using the N-Gain and an independent-samples t-test, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The results showed that both groups improved in MCU, but there was no statistically significant difference in improvement between the RME and conventional instruction (CI) groups. Nevertheless, the qualitative findings indicated that RME supported students’ learning motivation, encouraged them to gradually develop conceptual understanding through real-world contexts, and helped them understand the reasoning behind mathematical procedures. These findings suggest that the effectiveness of RME should be evaluated not only through test performance but also by considering students’ learning processes and the development of their conceptual understanding. Keywords: mixed methods, mathematical conceptual understanding, realistic mathematics education.]]>
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