Exploring High School Students' Mathematical Representation Abilities: Translation from Verbal to Symbolic Using Higher-Order Thinking Skills

This study investigates high school students' abilities to translate verbal representations into symbolic forms within the context of quadratic functions, using a Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) approach. Mathematical representation abilities are essential for facilitating understanding and solving mathematical problems. The research identifies challenges encountered during the translation process and proposes instructional strategies to enhance these abilities. Involving 65 eleventh-grade students, the study employs HOTS-based questions to assess students' ability to translate verbal descriptions into symbolic representations. The findings reveal that 55.38% of students encountered difficulties in translation, with 41.54% experiencing moderate difficulty, and only 3.08% accurately translating the problem. Students with high abilities successfully navigated the translation stages, whereas those with medium and low abilities faced challenges in applying formulas and made interpretive errors. The study highlights the importance of developing structured instructional methods that strengthen the connection between verbal and symbolic concepts in mathematics. These findings underscore the significance of this research in advancing instructional innovation and enhancing critical thinking abilities in mathematics education.