INTRODUCTION

Changes in the current era, in particular the 21st century or more appropriately called the century of knowledge, everyone is required to master the science so that they can master the technology and can adapt to circumstances. A nation can be said to forward if the nation can master science and technology. This means that human resources people must have high quality and has the comparative ability, innovative, competitive, and capable collaboration so that these human resources will be easier to absorb new information more effectively, so they have a reliable ability to adapt to cope with change times that are faster and faster.

Many lay people and experts believe, that education is extremely important and very fundamental in improving the quality of human life and ensuring social development, technological, and economic (United Nations: 1997). Marzano, et al (1988) states that, the purpose of education is to develop a good thinker and be able to use the knowledge they have in real life.

Therefore, improving the quality of national education in the meaning and scope of the broadest development is the emphasis in education should be completely implemented. Soedjadi (1994: 1) argued that education is the only container of which can be viewed and should work to create human resource of high quality. Based on the means of education are required to produce graduates who are expected to solve problems, critical and creative thinkers so that they can express themselves in the times.

Quality education can be a barometer of human resources. Schools are one place educational activities which serve as the creator of human resources. One of the subjects taught in school is math. Mathematics has a substantial role in providing various skills to the students for further studies, structuring thinking skills, and ability to solve problems in everyday life. This is consistent with the goals of mathematics education. According Soedjadi (2000: 45), mathematics education should pay attention to two objectives, namely (1) formal objectives, namely the arrangement of reason and personal formation of students, and (2) goals that are material, namely the application of mathematics and mathematical skills. It can be concluded that through the learning of mathematics students can improve thinking ability in mathematics and mathematics are expected to apply it in solving various problems faced in real life.

In teaching and learning every teacher hopes that the students who were learning to obtain the results of studying the best fit with learning objectives that have been planned. The fact that encountered in the field is contrary to that expected of teachers. Not all students who have learning gain maximum learning outcomes, even there are many students who experience learning difficulties.

Much effort has been made to overcome the difficulties students in understanding concepts and solving problems, among others, by considering the causes of the difficulties that come from students themselves and the students come from outside our selves. However student outcomes in mathematics lesson still has not achieved the expected goals. There is injustice in the determination of students' math learning difficulties. Often students become victims and are considered as main source of learning difficulties. Perhaps the only difficulty that comes from outside their self-esteem, such as learning processes related to curriculum, how the presentation of subject matter, and the atmosphere of learning. This can lead to critical thinking skills and student attitudes towards mathematics quite alarming, as a result students are not capable of independent and do not know what to do so that student achievement in mathematics are not always satisfactory.