Representation of Confirmation Bias in Geometry Learning in Islamic Boarding School Environment: Teachers' Perspective of Mathematics Learning at MTs Sarji Ar-Rasyid Situbondo

Abstract

This study aims to uncover the representation of confirmation bias in geometry learning within Islamic boarding school (pesantren) environments, particularly from the perspective of mathematics teachers at MTs Sarji Ar-Rasyid Situbondo. Geometry learning demands adequate visualization skills, conceptual understanding, and mathematical representation. However, instructional practices in pesantren settings remain predominantly teacher-centered, relying heavily on conventional lecture-based methods. Although various innovative approaches have been widely recommended in mathematics education literature, their implementation in pesantren environments remains considerably limited. This gap motivated the present study to examine how teachers' beliefs in the effectiveness of conventional methods can give rise to confirmation bias in instructional decision-making. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach, with data collected through classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with two mathematics teachers and several students. Data analysis was conducted using the Miles and Huberman model, encompassing the stages of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that teachers tend to sustain lecture-based methods, perceiving them as the most effective approach based on prior teaching experience, environmental conditions, and students' habitual learning patterns in the pesantren. The most significant finding demonstrates that confirmation bias operates through teachers' cognitive frameworks, in which they interpret students' limited comprehension, diminished focus, and learning fatigue as consequences of internal student factors or pesantren conditions, rather than as potential indicators of weaknesses inherent in the lecture method itself. Although teachers are familiar with technology-based approaches such as GeoGebra, their implementation remains suboptimal due to limited facilities, deeply ingrained teaching habits, and concerns regarding their practical effectiveness. These findings affirm that confirmation bias substantially influences how teachers maintain conventional practices while simultaneously dismissing more interactive learning alternatives. The implications of this study underscore the critical importance of professional development programs oriented toward deep pedagogical reflection and openness to instructional innovation, in order to enhance the quality of geometry learning within pesantren environments.

Representasi Bias Konfirmasi Pembelajaran Geometri di Lingkungan Pondok Pesantren: Perspektif Guru Pelajaran Matematika di MTs Sarji Ar-Rasyid Situbondo

ABSTRAK
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengungkap representasi bias konfirmasi dalam pembelajaran geometri di lingkungan pondok pesantren, khususnya dari perspektif guru matematika di MTs Sarji Ar-Rasyid Situbondo. Pembelajaran geometri menuntut kemampuan visualisasi, pemahaman konseptual, dan representasi matematis yang memadai. Namun, praktik pembelajaran di lingkungan pesantren masih didominasi oleh metode konvensional berpusat pada guru, terutama metode ceramah. Meskipun berbagai pendekatan inovatif telah direkomendasikan dalam literatur pendidikan matematika, penerapannya di lingkungan pesantren masih sangat terbatas. Kesenjangan inilah yang mendorong penelitian ini untuk menelaah bagaimana keyakinan guru terhadap efektivitas metode konvensional dapat memunculkan bias konfirmasi dalam pengambilan keputusan pembelajaran. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif dengan teknik pengumpulan data melalui observasi kelas dan wawancara semi-terstruktur terhadap dua guru matematika serta beberapa siswa. Analisis data dilakukan menggunakan model Miles dan Huberman yang mencakup tahapan reduksi data, penyajian data, dan penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa guru cenderung mempertahankan metode ceramah karena dianggap paling efektif berdasarkan pengalaman mengajar sebelumnya, kondisi lingkungan, dan kebiasaan belajar siswa di pesantren. Temuan paling signifikan mengungkapkan bahwa bias konfirmasi bekerja melalui pola pikir guru yang menafsirkan keterbatasan pemahaman, rendahnya fokus, dan kejenuhan siswa sebagai akibat faktor internal siswa atau kondisi pesantren, bukan sebagai indikasi kelemahan metode ceramah yang digunakan. Meskipun guru mengenal metode berbasis teknologi seperti GeoGebra, penerapannya belum optimal akibat keterbatasan fasilitas, kebiasaan mengajar yang sudah mengakar, dan kekhawatiran terhadap efektivitasnya di lapangan. Temuan ini menegaskan bahwa bias konfirmasi secara nyata memengaruhi cara guru mempertahankan praktik konvensional sekaligus mengesampingkan alternatif pembelajaran yang lebih interaktif. Implikasi penelitian ini menekankan pentingnya program pengembangan profesional guru yang berorientasi pada refleksi pedagogis mendalam dan keterbukaan terhadap inovasi pembelajaran guna meningkatkan kualitas pembelajaran geometri di lingkungan pesantren

Kata Kunci :
Bias konfirmasi; pembelajaran geometri; metode ceramah; inovasi pembelajaran; Konteks Pondok Pesantren