Traditional Measurement Units: A Study on the Construction of Rumah Gadang of Minangkabau R Fitriza (a,b*), T Turmudi (a), D Juandi (a), and Y Harisman (a,c)
a) Mathematics Education Department, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Jl. Dr. Setiabudi No. 229, Bandung 40154, Indonesia
b) Tadris Matematika Department, UIN Imam Bonjol Padang, Jl. M. Yunus Lubuk Lintah Kuranji Padang 25153 Indonesia
*rozifitriza[at]uinib.ac.id
c) Mathematics Education Depatment, STKIP PGRI Sumatera Barat, Jl. Gunung Pangilun Padang Utara, Padang 25000, Indonesia
Abstract
Rumah gadang, a traditional house of Minangkabau people, is a form of manifestation of the knowledge of that ethnic which has unique architecture. The design and the construction of rumah gadang are traditional craftsman creation. This article presents a study on measurement which employs the process of constructing and measuring a rumah gadang. Using qualitative method, information was gathered from tukang tuo as a traditional craftsman. Dapo, eto, jangko, tampok, and jari, are the measurement units that are used by traditional craftsman. Using non-standard measurement units, therefore, can be recommended for the teachers in their instruction in mathematics classroom in West Sumatera.
Keywords: Measurement; Rumah gadang; Ethnomathematics
