How Are the Students' Steps in Solving Mathematical Problems?

Problem solving is a students' basic ability needed in 21st century. One of the goals in learning Mathematics is that students have the ability to solve problems including the ability to understand problems, design mathematical models, solve the problem and interpret the solutions obtained. This study aimed to describe the process students solve mathematical problems based on the Polya model presented in word problems and picture illustrations. This study was qualitative research with a phenomenological design. The Data were collected by using test, interview, and observations. The participants of this study were 29 junior high school students in Indonesia. The participants were selected refer to the Mathematics teacher's recommendations and the suitability between the research objectives and the topics they had learned. The result of this study indicated that students had difficulty in solving on word problem, especially on the stage of understanding the problem and devising the plan. Furthermore, students faced obstacles in devising the plan and looking a back stage in illustrated problems which affect the outcome of the problem completion.