Analisis Proses Berpikir Reflektif Matematis Peserta Didik Berdasarkan Dominasi Otak Kiri dan Kanan

Abstract

Reflective mathematical thinking is a crucial component of higher-order cognitive skills essential for comprehensive problem-solving in mathematics education. However, instructional practices often prioritize final answers, neglecting the reflective processes that enable students to analyze and evaluate their reasoning. This study aims to describe the reflective mathematical thinking processes of students with left- and right-brain dominance in solving linear programming problems. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, data were collected from eleventh-grade science students at SMA Pasundan 1 Tasikmalaya using validated brain dominance tests, reflective mathematical thinking tasks, think-aloud protocols, and semi-structured interviews. Analysis focused on the indicators of reacting, comparing, and contemplating. Findings reveal significant cognitive differences: left-brain dominant students demonstrated systematic, logical, and comprehensive reflection, effectively identifying problem data, mapping constraints, formulating strategies, and critically evaluating solutions at each stage. In contrast, right-brain dominant students tended to rely on intuition, visual memory, and trial-and-error strategies, often experiencing difficulties in systematic evaluation and occasionally stopping at preliminary solutions without thorough validation. These results highlight that brain dominance significantly influences the depth and structure of reflective mathematical thinking, particularly during the comparison and contemplation stages. The study underscores the need for differentiated instructional strategies that accommodate cognitive diversity to enhance reflective thinking in mathematics education. Recommendations include adopting varied teaching methods, integrating visual and analytical tasks, and fostering guided reflection to support both left- and right-brain dominant students in developing comprehensive mathematical reasoning.