Syahrullah Asyari

President Prabowo Subianto’s directive on educational reform, particularly in the field of mathematics, emphasizes the critical need to strengthen students' competencies from an early age as a foundational pillar to address the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Mathematics education is positioned as a key factor in fostering logical, analytical, and problem-solving skills essential for the digital era. This article examines how a constructivist approach, combined with the integration of Pancasila values, can be implemented in the mathematics curriculum to shape students who are not only academically proficient but also possess strong character. Employing qualitative methods and narrative analysis of educational policies set forth by the President, this research reveals that a more interactive and collaborative educational approach, supported by continuous teacher training and the development of technology-based educational infrastructure, is crucial for ensuring the successful implementation of these policies. The implications suggest that this educational reform is expected to accelerate the creation of a competitive young generation in Indonesia who are prepared to contribute to the globalized world while remaining rooted in national values.

This conceptual meta-synthesis explores the intersections between mathematical literacy and the philosophy of mathematics education, revealing how these two fields mutually enrich the theoretical and practical dimensions of mathematics teaching and learning. Mathematical literacy, traditionally understood as the ability to use mathematics for solving real-world problems, has evolved into a multidimensional construct encompassing reasoning, communication, reflection, and ethical awareness. Meanwhile, the philosophy of mathematics education interrogates the epistemological, ontological, and axiological foundations of mathematics, emphasizing its nature as a human and cultural practice rather than a static system of truths. By integrating philosophical perspectives—particularly constructivism, fallibilism, and socioepistemology—this study argues for a humanistic reconceptualization of mathematical literacy that values context, culture, and reflection. Through an interpretive synthesis of recent international literature, the study identifies three key domains of convergence: epistemological alignment, cultural-ethical grounding, and reflective technological mediation. It concludes that embedding philosophical inquiry into mathematical literacy enhances not only cognitive competence but also moral and cultural consciousness, positioning mathematics education as a transformative endeavor that empowers learners to interpret and reshape their world through reflective reasoning.

Mathematical literacy is essential for students’ academic success and real-life problem-solving. However, math anxiety remains a significant barrier affecting students' performance, particularly in the “quantity” content of mathematical literacy. Despite extensive research, limited studies have explored how varying levels of math anxiety influence students’ mathematical literacy in specific content domains. This qualitative descriptive study investigates the impact of math anxiety on the mathematical literacy of the eighth-grade students in the “quantity” content. Using purposive sampling, six students from State Junior High School 26 Makassar were selected. The data collection involved a math anxiety questionnaire, a mathematical literacy test, and interview guidelines. The Miles, Huberman, and Saldana model was applied for data analysis. The findings indicate that math anxiety levels strongly influence students’ mathematical literacy. Students with low anxiety demonstrated strong conceptual understanding, effective problem-solving strategies, and accurate calculations. Those with moderate anxiety managed simpler tasks but struggled with complex problems, consistent with the Yerkes-Dodson law. The students experiencing high anxiety exhibited the poorest performance faced challenges in understanding instructions and applying appropriate strategies. The study highlights the necessity of addressing math anxiety through interactive teaching approaches and targeted support to enhance students’ mathematical literacy, suggesting practical interventions for educators.

This study explores the application of the philosophy of social constructivism and the principles of democracy in mathematics education among students as pre-service mathematics teachers. Involving 134 third-year students from Universitas Negeri Makassar, the research employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze the understanding and implementation of these principles. The results reveal that 89.55% of students comprehend the concept of social constructivism, although its application remains limited, particularly in theoretical courses. A moderate correlation was found between gender and teaching experience with the understanding of social constructivism, while its implementation was not significantly influenced by demographic factors. The main barriers identified include student inactivity, resource limitations, and classroom management challenges. Indepth interviews with 15 students revealed that teaching experience enhances the ability to lead discussions and apply democratic principles in the classroom. This study highlights the importance of classroom management training and collaborative strategies to improve the effectiveness of social constructivism- and democracy-based learning.

This study explores the distinction between mathematics as an abstract entity and its applications in the real world, as well as the implications of this distinction for the development of contemporary science. Abstract mathematics is understood as a reality that exists independently of the physical world, while applied mathematics is used to solve concrete problems across various disciplines, such as physics, biology, and technology. By examining key philosophical approaches, including Platonism, Formalism, and Constructivism, this research delves into the ontological status of mathematics and how each perspective interprets the relationship between mathematics and reality. The methodology employed involves an analysis of current scientific and philosophical literature to assess the role of mathematics in modeling and predicting real-world phenomena. The findings reveal that while abstract mathematics provides a robust theoretical foundation, its application in science is often constrained by practical limitations, such as uncertainties in data and computational constraints. The conclusion drawn is that abstract and applied mathematics differ not only in their nature and objectives but also in the ways they interact with the real world. This distinction has significant implications for how we understand and advance science and technology in the modern era.

Indonesia has recently faced problems in various aspects of life. The results of a social media survey in Indonesia in early 2021 that the biggest threat to the Pancasila ideology is communism and other western ideologies. Communism has a dark history in the life of the Indonesian people. It shows the problem of thinking and philosophical views of the Indonesian people. This research is textbook research that aims to analyze philosophy books, namely mathematics education philosophy textbooks written with a Western cultural background by Paul Ernest. This book was chosen as the object of analysis because this book is the essential reference textbook for the philosophy of mathematics education in universities providing prospective mathematics teachers in Indonesia. The research results show that this book contributes to developing Western thoughts that are contrary to Pancasila. It needs to eliminate the most critical thing in this book. It is the atheistic and individualistic philosophy underlying the ideology of mathematics education because this is not in line with the theistic collectivistic Pancasila. Therefore, this research recommends developing a textbook on the philosophy of mathematics education. It should be under the Pancasila ideology or written based on the Pancasila ideology.