Students' Interaction With Mathematical Content in an Informatics Logic Course: A Gadamerian Hermeneutic Phenomenology Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54065/jld.6.2.2026.1276Keywords:
Informatics Logic, Gadamerian Hermeneutics, Hermeneutic Phenomenology, Student Experience, Conceptual UnderstandingAbstract
Informatics logic is foundational for computational thinking, yet students often experience its symbols and formal structures as abstract and disconnected from everyday reasoning. This issue is urgent in higher education, particularly in Informatics Engineering programs, where limited understanding of logic can hinder the development of essential problem-solving skills in the digital era. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the essence of students' interaction with mathematical content in an Informatics Logic course through Gadamerian hermeneutic phenomenology. The study was conducted at Universitas Cokroaminoto Palopo, Indonesia, involving five Informatics Engineering students selected purposively to represent diverse academic backgrounds. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, written reflections, participatory observation, and learning documents. Analysis followed a cyclic process of repeated reading, initial noting, emergent theme development, within-case interpretation, and cross-case synthesis in line with the hermeneutic circle. Four themes emerged. First, students perceived logical symbols as a “foreign language,” leading to confusion and alienation. Second, they constructed interpretive bridges using analogies and everyday language. Third, they experienced meaning conflicts when intuition contradicted formal logical rules, especially in implication and equivalence. Fourth, some reached “aha” moments, reflecting a fusion of horizons and deeper understanding. The findings indicate that learning informatics logic is a dialogic and interpretive process shaped by prior understanding, language, and reflection rather than a linear transfer of rules. This study implies that instruction should integrate dialogic, contextual, and reflective approaches. It also highlights the need for curriculum designs that connect formal logic with students’ everyday reasoning to enhance conceptual understanding and reduce cognitive barriers.
Downloads
References
Akramunnisa, A., Prasti, D., & Dodi, D. (2023). Media Pembelajaran Matematika Menggunakan Macromedia Flash Untuk Siswa Kelas X SMAN 19 Luwu . Jurnal Literasi Digital, 3(2), 75–81. https://doi.org/10.54065/jld.3.2.2023.222
Al-Khowarizmi, A. K., Manurung, A. A., & Azhari, M. (2023). Design of an Application to Calculate Student Grades in Learning Logic Informatics Propositional Calculus Material. Hanif Journal of Information Systems, 1(1), 18-25. https://doi.org/10.56211/hanif.v1i1.7
Al-Khowarizmi, A., Manurung, A. A., & Azhari, M. (2023). Design of an application to calculate student grades in learning logic informatics propositional calculus material. Hanif Journal of Information Systems, 1(1), 18–25. https://doi.org/10.56211/hanif.v1i1.7
Alsaigh, R., & Coyne, I. (2021). Doing a hermeneutic phenomenology research underpinned by Gadamer's philosophy: A framework to facilitate data analysis. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069211047820
Anisa, S., Ginashantika, E., Sudirman, S., & Olivero-Acuña, R. R. (2025). Students lived experiences with technology in mathematics learning: a hermeneutic phenomenological study in Indonesian secondary education. International Journal of Mathematics and Sciences Education, 3(1), 43-56. https://doi.org/10.59965/ijmsed.v3i1.180
Arcavi, A., & Nachlieli, T. (2021). The role of visual representations in the learning of mathematics. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 106(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-020-09968-7
Ausubel, D. P. (1968). Educational psychology: A cognitive view. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Biza, I., Giraldo, V., Hochmuth, R., Khakbaz, A., & Rasmussen, C. (2021). Research on students’ understanding of mathematical reasoning and proof. International Journal of Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, 7(2), 245–278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40753-021-00135-0
Bronkhorst, H., Roorda, G., Suhre, C., & Goedhart, M. (2021). Student development in logical reasoning: Results of an intervention guiding students through different modes of visual and formal representation. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 21, 378-399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42330-021-00148-4
Chi, M. T. H. (2021). Translating the ICAP theory of cognitive engagement into practice. Cognitive Science, 45(5), e12989. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12989
Cihan, F. (2024). Examination of mathematics course contents related to proof in the Educational Informatics Network. Necatibey Faculty of Education Electronic Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 18(1), 59–86. https://doi.org/10.17522/balikesirnef.1395739
Dagien?, V., Hromkovi?, J., & Lacher, R. (2021). Designing informatics curriculum for K-12 education: From concepts to implementations. Informatics in Education, 20(3), 333–360. https://doi.org/10.15388/infedu.2021.22
Dahlberg, K. (2021). The lifeworld approach in qualitative research: Theory, methods and application. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 16(1), 188-197. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2020.1854344
Dewi, A. K., & Surur, A. M. (2021). Pengembangan Media Komik Sebagai Media Belajar Matematika Materi Pecahan Untuk Siswa SD Pada Masa Pembelajaran Daring Di Desa Rejowinangun. Jurnal Literasi Digital, 1(3), 174–179. https://doi.org/10.54065/jld.1.3.2021.67
Durand-Guerrier, V., & Arsac, G. (2020). Logical reasoning and mathematical proof: The gap between students’ reasoning and formal logic. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 104(2), 243–259. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-020-09933-4
Gray, E., & Tall, D. (2021).Abstraction and encapsulation in mathematical thinking: Process–object duality revisited. ZDM – Mathematics Education, 53(2), 345–357. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-021-01234-5
Hausberger, T. (2020). On the networking of Husserlian phenomenology and didactics of mathematics. Mathematics Teaching-Research Journal, 12(2), 201-210.
Illeris, K. (2021). Learning theory in a contemporary context: Understanding the processes of learning. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 28, 100494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2020.100494
Kapur, M. (2022). Productive failure and iterative learning processes in education. Educational Psychologist, 57(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2022.2038607
Milton, J. H., Flores, M. M., Hinton, V. M., Dunn, C., & Darch, C. B. (2023). Using the concrete–representational–abstract sequence to teach conceptual understanding. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 38(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/ldrp.12299
Muhammad, I., Jupri, A., & Herman, T. (2025). Development of web-based learning media with a realistic mathematics education approach to increase student self-determination. Infinity Journal, 14(2), 303–322. https://doi.org/10.22460/infinity.v14i2.p303-322
Nurhayati, R., Untari, M. F. A., & Rahayu, W. (2022). Peningkatan keaktifan dan hasil belajar melalui model pembelajaran problem based learning berbantu media Canva. Jurnal Pendidikan dan Konseling, 4(5), 2779–2794. https://doi.org/10.31004/jpdk.v4i5.7030.
Okeke, A. M., Egara, F. O., Orga, A. C., & Nzeadibe, A. C. (2023). Effect of symbolic form model on students’ interest in logic content of the mathematics curriculum. Pedagogical Research, 8(2), em0159. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/13077
Omeh, C. B., Eze, C. U., & Nwafor, C. E. (2025). Fostering programming skill and critical thinking through AI-assisted problem-based learning integration. Journal of New Approaches in Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44322-025-00041-0
Pereira, D. E. F., & Seabra, R. D. (2023). Open educational resource for studying algorithms and programming logic: An approach to the technical level integrated with secondary school. Informatics in Education, 22(3), 441–462. https://doi.org/10.15388/infedu.2023.17
Ponomareva, N. S. (2021). Role and place of informatics in the training of future teachers of mathematics. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1840(1), 012035. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1840/1/012035
Presmeg, N. (2022). Semiotics and the learning of mathematics: Advances and future directions. ZDM – Mathematics Education, 54(2), 311–323. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-022-01361-1
Prosser, S. K., & Bismarck, S. F. (2023). Concrete–representational–abstract (CRA) instructional approach in an Algebra I inclusion class: Knowledge retention versus students’ perception. Education Sciences, 13(10), 1061. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13101061
Rajiman, W., & Samsinar, S. (2022). Efektivitas Penggunaan Pen Tablet Berbasis Zoom Terhadap Minat Belajar Matematika Ekonomi Di Masa Pandemi Covid-19 . Jurnal Literasi Digital, 2(1), 21–27. https://doi.org/10.54065/jld.2.1.2022.110
Roberge, J. (2021). What is critical hermeneutics. Thesis Eleven, 162(1), 6–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0725513620986929
Ryan, M. (2021). Reflective and reflexive practice in higher education: A systematic review. Teaching in Higher Education, 26(4), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2020.1793933
Sentance, S., & Waite, J. (2021). Teachers’ perspectives on talk in the programming classroom: Language as a mediator. In Proceedings of the 17th ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research (ICER 2021) (pp. 266–280). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3446871.3469751
Sfard, A. (2020). Commognition as a framework for studying mathematical discourse. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 105(2), 189–208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-020-09984
Using the concrete–representational–abstract sequence to teach conceptual understanding of place value, rounding, and expanded notation. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 38(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/ldrp.12299
Wahyuni, S., Dewi, I., & Nasution, H. (2025). Development of web-based mathematics learning media to improve reasoning ability and self-efficacy of high school students. Jurnal Perspektif, 9(2), 244–257. https://doi.org/10.15575/jp.v9i2.354
Wedman, L., & Bennet, C. (2025). Views on concept in mathematics education. Mathematical Thinking and Learning. https://doi.org/10.1080/10986065.2025.2465921
Yusuf, A., & Noor, N. M. (2024). Modeling students’ algorithmic thinking growth trajectories in different programming environments. Smart Learning Environments, 11(1), 38. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-024-00324-7
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Murniati Murniati, Dian Pramana Putra
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
License and Copyright Agreement
- Authors retain copyright and other proprietary rights related to the article.
- Authors retain the right and are permitted to use the substance of the article in their own future works, including lectures and books.
- Authors grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post or self-archive their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
