Edi Irawan Earns Doctorate in Mathematics Education with Cum Laude Honors
Bandung, Wednesday, May 29, 2024 | The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Education (FPMIPA) at the Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) conducted a PhD dissertation defense in Mathematics Education for doctoral candidate Edi Irawan at the FPMIPA UPI Auditorium. Dr. rer.nat. Adi Rahmat, M.Si., the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs of FPMIPA UPI, chaired the session. The event was attended by Prof. Dr. Rizky Rosjanuardi, M.Si. as the promoter, Prof. Dr. H. Sufyani Prabawanto, M.Ed. as the co-promoter, and Dr. Elah Nurlaelah, M.Si. as the internal examiner. Prof. Dr. Sugiman, M.Si. from Yogyakarta State University participated online via Zoom as the external examiner. Unfortunately, one of the examiners, Prof. Dr. Didi Suryadi, M.Ed., was unable to attend because his wife passed away that day. The defense was also attended by the doctoral candidate’s family, the Dean of the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training (FTIK) at the Institut Agama Islam Negeri Ponorogo, doctoral students in Mathematics Education, and other invited guests.
The PhD dissertation defense commenced at 9:00 AM with the chairperson of the session giving the promoter the opportunity to present the academic accountability of the doctoral candidate’s dissertation. Subsequently, Edi Irawan presented his dissertation research findings titled “Students’ Computational Thinking Skills through the Application of Didactical Design Utilizing R Software in Statistics Courses” for approximately ten minutes. Following this, the examiners, promoter, and co-promoter posed questions and objections regarding the dissertation. The candidate effectively and fluently defended his arguments and was declared to have passed with distinction, receiving a “Cum Laude” designation. This study, completed in approximately 2 years and 9 months, achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.98.
Dr. Edi Irawan’s dissertation explores the integration of computational thinking (CT) into basic statistics courses using the R programming software available on Google Colab. To systematically integrate CT and anticipate various potential learning obstacles, the candidate designed a hypothetical learning trajectory (HLT) and didactical design based on Brousseau’s Theory of Didactical Situations (TDS), CT concept, and basic statistics concepts. This research is noteworthy as it addresses a gap in the existing literature, where no prior studies have integrated CT into basic statistics courses using R programming on Google Colab through meticulously planned HLT and didactical design.
The candidate conducted preliminary studies through bibliometric analysis published in the “Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education” Volume 20 (3), titled “Research Trends of Computational Thinking in Mathematics Learning: A Bibliometric Analysis from 2009 to 2023,” which indicated a significant increase in research on CT integration in mathematics learning in recent years. A literature review published in the “Journal of Theory and Application of Mathematics” (JTAM) Volume 8 (1), titled “Advancing Computational Thinking in Mathematics Education: a Systematic Review of Indonesian Research Landscape,” further supported the novelty of his research focus.
The dissertation offers an HLT for the use of R programming on Google Colab to develop students’ CT skills through basic statistics courses, particularly in descriptive statistics. Additionally, the candidate proposed a didactical design model represented as a 5 x 4 x 4 block. The five units on the block’s length represent the series of tasks students undergo in descriptive statistics, from introductory concepts to data visualizations, measures of central tendency, measures of variation, and measures of position. The four units on the block’s width reflect the four components of CT skills: decomposition, abstraction, pattern recognition, and algorithm. The four units on the block’s height represent the four didactical situations based on Brousseau’s theory: action, formulation, validation, and institutionalization. The findings also demonstrated that integrating CT in basic statistics courses using R programming on Google Colab, with meticulously planned HLT and didactical design, enhances students’ CT skills and anticipates various learning obstacles.
The lecturer from the FTIK at the State Islamic Institute of Ponorogo officially earned his doctorate in Mathematics Education from FPMIPA UPI. As the promoter, Prof. Dr. Rizky Rosjanuardi, M.Si., congratulated Dr. Edi Irawan, M.Pd., and provided an academic message that this achievement is a foundation for future contributions to the nation. He also advised the candidate to continuously develop research as the soul of academia and turn various challenges faced into motivation to become more resilient and creative. The session concluded at 11:00 AM, followed by a documentation session with the candidate, examiners, promoter, co-promoter, and invited guests.