Abstract:
The pandemic era had an enormous influence on teaching and learning activities in all regions of the world. For urban areas that generally already have a variety of adequate facilities and infrastructure, it still has an impact on their learning activities. However, this outbreak in rural areas with limitations in teaching and learning activities has its own story. Therefore, this study aims to identify the problems encountered and the solutions implemented by teachers, lecturers, and students in the implementation of mathematics learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in one of the rural areas in Indonesia, namely Manokwari, West Papua. Teachers, students, and lecturers were all purposefully selected as research subjects for the study, which was conducted using qualitative research techniques. Data was collected through structured interviews using the WhatsApp application, then analyzed to construct narratives, tables, and images. The results showed two main problems in implementing the online mathematics learning system in West Papua, namely accessibility to Information Communications Technology (ICT) equipment and the ability to use ICT equipment in carrying out mathematics learning online. The results also show that online mathematics learning is necessary to require government involvement in planning, implementing, and evaluating online mathematics learning systems. Yet, blended learning is a learning system that is suitable to be applied in West Papua during this pandemic situation.
