Pembelajaran multikultural fisika di smu

Finish Time in Multiplication 
With a p-value of 0.3141 in the F-test, there is insufficient evidence to show 
that the variances are not equal; hence, it means that the variances are equal. With 
this, Student’s t-test for two samples assuming equal variances is used; it yields a 
p-value of 0.3746, greater than 0.05, which translates to insufficient evidence to 
show unequal means. Based on the pre- and posttest results for finish time in 
multiplication, there was no significant difference between the two tests, even if 
the average finish time in the posttest (14.8 minutes) was faster than that of in the 
pretest (17.49 minutes). In consultation with a trainer from UCMAS Jakarta about 
the target finish time for Level 3 abacus in terms of multiplication, he responded, 
saying the multiplication examination’s standard is 10 minutes for 20 items of 
multiplying two two-digit numbers. In comparison, students in the experimental 
group solved 40 items, comprised of two-digit and three-digit numbers, with an 
average finish time of 14.8 minutes. Paired with the significantly improved mean 
score in multiplication, the finish time of the students could be seen as satisfactory 
given the additional questions administered to them, though they could still 
improve their speed in multiplication through practice.
Furthermore, moving from left to the right in counting using abacus builds a 
new scheme in the students’ mind aside from the usual right to left method as 
taught in the classroom (i.e. conventional way).

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IJIET
Vol. 2, No. 1, January 2018 
56 
Doing multiplication using the abacus is shorter compared to the 
conventional way, especially with multi-digit factors. To find the product of two 
two-digit numbers using abacus, students need only two steps with an assumption 
that they can do mental abacus already in multiplying two- and one-digit numbers. 
For example, for the question 53 x 45, first, students should choose the correct 
pole (i.e. the thousands pole) and use mental abacus to place 212 (i.e. the first 
product, from 53 x 4). The second step, which is also the last, is to add the next 
product 265 (i.e. obtained using mental abacus). For the conventional way, 
students would have to do at least four steps wherein they are multiplying four 
numbers.
Doing multiplication using the abacus can help students move faster than 
others who use the conventional way. It is one major factor that makes 
multiplication for the experimental group faster than the control group. Moreover, 
more practice on using the abacus and mental abacus for multiplying two- by one-
digit numbers is a major contributor to the speed in doing multi-digit 
multiplication. 
In some conversations during the abacus training, the researchers 
spontaneously asked some students regarding their interest about abacus. Most of 
them said that they enjoy studying about the abacus because it is not extremely 
difficult (i.e. once all the rules have been mastered, one can do all the basic 
mathematics operations, starting from the mastery of addition as the key). 
Moreover, the students preferred to learn using the abacus (rather than the paper-
and-pen method taught in school) because using the abacus is just like playing 
with beads and the students never felt bored. 
Additionally, the students did not feel compelled to join abacus training. 
This was supported by Hayashi (2000), who stated that abacus training would be 
useless if children are forced to do it; otherwise, if children want to learn about the 
abacus and do the practice (i.e. moving the beads, seeing and reading the value of 
the beads) as fun, they will tend to enjoy learning more and get more profit from 
their experience.
However, some students said that the amount of homework from school and 
also from the abacus course sometimes made them feel too tired to finish all the 
asas.