Cognitive style and gender differences in a conceptual understanding of mathematics students

This study aimed to analyze the understanding of mathematics concepts of cognitive style students based on gender in the matrix material. This research is descriptive research with a qualitative approach. The data collected from high school students of class XI in a cognitive style of male and female. The technique of data collecting used in this research are tests, interviews and also equipped with documentation. The data analysis techniques in this research are data reduction, data display and conclusion/verification. The data validity used triangulation technique. The results showed that cognitive style between male and female students have a similarity understanding of mathematics concepts in indicators that give examples or examples of the counter of the learned concepts and have differences in understanding of mathematics concepts; redefine the concepts in mathematics; connect the various concepts in mathematics as well as outside mathematics; identify the characteristic of procedure or theory and present the idea in various forms of mathematical representation. Based on data analysis, it can be concluded that the understanding of mathematics concepts of cognitive style on the male is better than on the female.