Capability Analysis Mathematical Problem Solving High School Students on Geometry Transformation Material

Mathematical problem-solving ability is an essential competence for high school students, especially in geometry transformations, which require conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking skills. However, studies show that students' problem-solving abilities in this topic remain at a moderate level, with many students struggling at the stages of understanding the problem and reviewing their solutions. This study aims to analyze high school students' mathematical problem-solving abilities on geometry transformation material based on Polya's steps, to identify the most mastered indicators, and the influencing factors. This research employed a descriptive qualitative approach involving 10 purposively selected eleventh-grade students of SMA Negeri 5 Tana Toraja in the 2024/2025 academic year. The main instrument was essay questions based on Polya's indicators: understanding the problem, devising a plan, carrying out the plan, and looking back. Data were analyzed descriptively using a structured scoring rubric. The results show that most students are in the moderate ability category, with devising a plan being the most mastered stage (85%), while looking back is the lowest (35%). The main contributing factors are the lack of practice with story problems and limited habituation in reflecting on results.