Realistic Mathematics Education (
RME) can not be separated with
Freudenthal Institute. The institute was established in 1971 under the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands. The name of the institute is after
Professor Hans Freudenthal (1905-1990), a Germany/Dutch autor, educator and mathematician.
Since 1971, Freudenthal Institute has been developing a theoretical approach toward
mathematics teaching and learning called learning called
RME (
Realistic Mathematics Education). RME combines the ideas of what is
mathematics, how students
learn mathematics, and how
mathematics should be thaught.
Freudenthal believed that students should not be considered as passive receivers of ready-made
mathematics. According to Freudenthaleducation might be arranged in favor to students to use every single situation and opportunity to reinvent mathematics themselves. Many problems could be developed from various contexts which are considered meaningful as learning resources.
Mathematical concepts are developed by mathematization process that is starting from context-link solution students gradually develop tool for mathematical understanding ti formal level. Models which are emerged in students mathematical activities might prompt interactivities that lead to a higher level of mathematival thingking.