YOGYAKARTA, 15 November 2025 — The Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) held the Pesantren Mathematics Teachers’ Forum themed “Inclusive Mathematics” on 15 November 2025. This program is a collaboration between the Department of Mathematics UGM, the Mathematics Education Study Program of Universitas Alma Ata (UAA) Yogyakarta, and Rabithah Ma’ahid Islamiyah (RMI) PBNU, aimed at strengthening teachers’ capacity in managing diverse levels of mathematical understanding among students and enhancing numeracy literacy within Islamic boarding schools (pesantren).
The forum was motivated by findings from a 2024 Focus Group Discussion (FGD), which revealed significant challenges within pesantren environments, including wide gaps in students’ mathematical abilities, low mastery of basic arithmetic, and declining interest in learning mathematics.
Held in Meeting Room 1 of the Department of Mathematics FMIPA UGM, the event was attended by mathematics teachers from 16 madrasahs and upper-secondary schools in the pesantren communities of Yogyakarta.
The Chairman of the Regional Board of RMI D.I. Yogyakarta, KH. Muhammad Nilzam Yahya, M.Ag., delivered opening remarks. He emphasized the unique spiritual foundation of santri—such as riyadhoh and tirakat—which cultivates perseverance and resilience in learning. He expressed hope that this capacity-building initiative would continue regularly to provide optimal benefits for both teachers and students.
During the material sessions, teachers received three key topics to support inclusive mathematics instruction. The first topic, “Smart Ways to Begin Learning with Diagnostic Assessment” delivered by Dr. Martalia Ardiyaningrum, S.Si., M.Pd., highlighted the importance of diagnostic assessment for mapping students’ initial competencies. The results serve as the basis for designing differentiated instruction in terms of materials, processes, and learning products. Responding to a question from Ibu Umi (MA Nurul Ummah) regarding the suboptimal implementation of numeracy programs, Dr. Martalia stressed the importance of identifying specific conceptual weaknesses to provide targeted reinforcement.
The second topic, “From Chalkboard to Screen: Transforming Learning with GeoGebra,” presented by Ivan Luthfi Ihwani, S.Si., M.Sc., Ph.D., demonstrated the use of GeoGebra as a free software tool for visualizing mathematical concepts—ranging from 2D and 3D geometry to calculus—more precisely and dynamically. The session highlighted the “GeoGebra Classroom” feature as an interactive learning solution. Ivan Luthfi also emphasized that the platform provides resources suitable for all levels, including visualizations of abstract concepts such as limits.
The final material session, “Enhancing Students’ Motivation to Learn Mathematics through Applications in Finance” by Prof. Dr. Gunardi, M.Si., focused on strategies to increase students’ learning motivation by showing the real-life relevance of mathematics. He presented contextual examples such as loan interest, investment, and financial schemes that can be used as engaging classroom case studies. The discussion centered on teachers’ challenges in incorporating such applied topics into an already dense curriculum and presenting them to students with varying foundational abilities.
The discussion and plenary sessions were interactive, facilitated by Dr. Danang T. Qoyyimi and Prof. Dr. Gunardi, to map shared challenges. Teachers openly conveyed the main recurring issues they face: wide gaps in basic numeracy skills among students, low learning motivation due to distractions, and heavy teacher workloads. In response, the discussion converged on an important proposal from participants—the formation of an inter-madrasah working group. UGM welcomed this idea and expressed its commitment to supporting follow-up efforts through formal partnerships and collaborative teaching-material development workshops.
The event concluded with a planning session led by the committee chair, Dr. Danang Teguh Qoyyimi, Ph.D., who emphasized that this forum marks the first step of a long-term initiative titled “Empowering Santri in STEM.” Upcoming collaborations—such as extended workshops and continuous mentoring—will be designed based on the real challenges identified together with the teachers during the forum.
Keywords: Inclusive Mathematics, Santri Numeracy Literacy, UGM–UAA–RMI PBNU Collaboration
Author: Faragus Ali Hasan
Photo: Fairuz Al Faruq Nur Muhammad