Construction of Students' Understanding of Positive and Negative Integer Addition Through Rope Media from a Kinesthetic Learning Style Perspective

Understanding integer concepts is an essential foundation for learning mathematics at the junior high school level. However, many students experience difficulties in performing integer addition operations, particularly those involving positive and negative numbers. These difficulties often arise because mathematical concepts are presented abstractly without sufficient concrete learning experiences. This study aimed to describe the process by which students construct their understanding of positive and negative integer addition through the use of rope media from the perspective of kinesthetic learning styles. The study employed a qualitative case study approach involving two seventh-grade students at SMP Negeri 1 Saluputti who were identified as kinesthetic learners through a learning style questionnaire. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and learning activity documentation. The data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles and Huberman, consisting of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings revealed that students’ understanding developed through three stages: initial exploration, conceptual association, and reflective abstraction. Rope media helped students visualize positive and negative directions through physical movement, enabling them to connect concrete experiences with abstract mathematical concepts. The use of rope media also increased students’ engagement, concentration, and motivation during learning activities. Although students encountered difficulties in interpreting operations involving multiple negative numbers, they developed strategies such as repeating demonstrations, discussing with peers, and verifying solutions through concrete representations. The study concludes that rope media is an effective learning tool for facilitating kinesthetic learners’ conceptual understanding of integer addition and supports the constructivist view that knowledge is actively constructed through experience and reflection.