A CURRENT STUDY ON GRADE/AGE AND GENDER-RELATED CHANGE IN MATH ANXIETY

The purpose of this study is to reveal how math anxiety changes according to the variables of grade/age and gender. The study was carried out with a total of 1247 individuals consisting of 10 different grades from 3rd-grade to 12th-grade students studying in schools selected from different socio-economic environments in a province of Turkey. The Math Anxiety Scale (MAS) was used as a data collection tool. As a result of the analysis, evidence was found that math anxiety is significantly higher in female students than male students. It was also determined that math anxiety was classified in ascending order for the 5th, 3rd, 6th, 4th, 8th, 11th, 12th, 7th, 9th, 10th graders, respectively. Another result is that participants’ math anxiety averages were less in comparison with the previous research results. Based on this important result, it can be said that math anxiety is decreasing over the years as a result of the constructivist education.  Article visualizations

VIEWS OF TEACHERS AND 7TH GRADERS ON AN ENRICHED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT DESIGNED FOR IMPROVING MATHEMATICAL REASONING

The purpose of the present study is to reveal the views of middle school mathematics teachers and students regarding a learning environment designed around different methods for improving Mathematical Reasoning (MR). The study was conducted with 27 seventh grade students studying at a randomly selected state school in a city center in Turkey, the teacher who instructs these students’ mathematics courses, and another mathematics teacher employed at the school. For eight weeks (32 class hours in total), the students were instructed on the subjects of fractions and integers through educational games, concrete materials, cartoons, computer-assisted applications, association with daily life, and collaborative group argumentation. Data for the study were collected through interviews conducted with participants, observations of the teachers, and diaries kept by the students throughout the implementation process. The data were analyzed using a content analysis technique. Evidence was found that this environment improved the MR of students, provided effective and permanent learning, and increased attendance at lessons, but the teachers and the students also agreed that it had different effects in terms of classroom management such as noise, control over the classroom, lack of exam marks, not taking notes, time problems, and effects on students’ success in their central exams. It is also possible to say that, with the help of open-ended high-level problems, students tried to provide solutions instead of focusing on choices for answers, and thus they used more MR skill. Article visualizations

Age- And Gender-Related Change in Mathematical Reasoning Ability and Some Educational Suggestions

Does the mathematical reasoning ability develop with increase in age?  How is mathematical reasoning ability differing according to gender? The current study is trying to find answers to these two questions.  The study using cross-sectional design, was conducted with 409 (8th, 9th and 10th grade) students attending to middle school and high school in different provinces of Turkey from different socio-economic environments. Mathematical Reasoning Test (MRT) was used for the data collection. Independent groups t-test was applied in order to analyse the relationship between mathematical reasoning and gender, and additionally ANOVA test was used to determine the differences between grade levels. The analysis shows that as the age increases mathematical reasoning develops and male students perform significantly better than female students in mathematical reasoning. It is very important to (a) take encouraging steps to ensure that women are interested in mathematics instead of discouraging attitudes in society, (b) expose students to higher-level problems in open-ended format without answer options over grades in order to improve their mathematical reasoning. Keywords: Mathematical reasoning ability, age, gender, middle and high school student

Prospective Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ (PMTs) Content Knowledge about Concepts ‘Fraction’ and ‘Rational Number’

The present study aims to examine the content knowledge of prospective middle school mathematics teachers (PMTs) on the concepts ‘fraction’ and ‘rational number’ and relationship between them. This study, in which mixed type (quantitative+qualitative) research approach is used, was carried out with 164 PMTs in total, who study in the department of middle school mathematics teaching of the Faculties of Education in three different state universities in Turkey. “Fraction-Rational Number Test (FRNT)” consisting of six questions was used as data collection tool. Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of the data, and each question was separately assessed. Results showed that approximately 37% of the PMTs answered the questions in FRNT as completely true, and approximately 23% of them answered as wrong category. It was also found out that some of PMTs confused the concepts of fraction and rational number and used them interchangeably. From these results, it can be said that the content knowledge of PMTs on ‘fraction’ and ‘rational number’ concepts and relationship between them is not at sufficient level

Prikazi procesa poučavanja vjerojatnosti posredstvom igre

The aim of this study is to determine what happens when the subject of probability is taught via educational games. Participants in the research were fourth-grade students (N= 24, aged 9-10) who were taught for 3 class hours (each 40 minutes) by their teacher. The designed games were played among groups of 3-4 students. Data was gathered from 8 selected students’ responses to semi-structured interviews, the teacher’s views about the process, researchers’ evaluations of students’ reflections, students’ journal entries regarding the process, and audio and video recordings of students’ interactions. The findings were presented according to data collection sources. Evidence suggested that game-based teaching facilitated understanding, enhanced students’ participation and motivation, enabled them to work with peers, helped them overcome math anxiety, provided an amusing learning environment, although it also resulted in classroom management difficulty and a noisy learning environment. Cilj istraživanja bio je odrediti što će se dogoditi kada vjerojatnost poučavamo posredstvom obrazovne igre. Sudionici istraživanja bili su učenici četvrtog razreda (N= 24, dob 9-10) koji su imali tri nastavna sata (u trajanju od 40 minuta) i njihov učitelj. Odabrane igre provodile su se u skupinama od 3 do 4 učenika. Podaci su dobiveni na temelju odgovora osam učenika u polustrukturiranom intervjuu, stavova učitelja o procesu, istraživačke procjene učeničkih razmatranja, učeničkih bilješki u dnevnicima vezanim uz proces, kao i na temelju audio i video zapisa interakcije učenika. Nalazi su prikazani prema načinu prikupljanja podataka. Dokazi ukazuju na to da učenje posredstvom igre potiče razumijevanje, poboljšava sudjelovanje učenika i motivaciju, omogućuje zajednički rad s djecom, pomaže u suzbijanju straha od matematike, stvara zabavno okruženje za učenje, ali kao posljedicu ima poroblem vladanja razredom i prilično bučnu atmosferu za učenje

Ispitivanje vještina modeliranja budućih nastavnika matematike u višim razredima osnovnih škola na zadatcima množenja i dijeljenja razlomaka

Modelling can be considered as an effective way of ensuring permanent learning in the ‘Fractions’ topic, as well as the other topics of mathematics. When the effect of teacher’s knowledge on students’ learning is considered, it is important to investigate modelling skills of tomorrow’s teachers regarding fractions. Within this context in the present study, prospective middle school mathematics teachers’ modelling skills of multiplication and division in fractions were examined. The study was carried out with a total of 104 prospective middle school mathematics teachers who study at the Faculties of Education at two different universities in Turkey. The Modelling Fractions Test (MFT) with six items, three of which were on multiplication and three of which were on division in fractions, was used as a data collection tool. In analyzing the data, descriptive statistics was used and items were evaluated one by one. The findings indicated that the participants showed better performance on modelling with operations in multiplication than with the ones in division, created better models regarding operations requiring multiplication and division of a whole number and unit fraction, and also half of the participants answered questions in MFT as completely correct.Modeliranjem se učinkovito osigurava trajno učenje matematičkoga sadržaja razlomaka i ostalih matematičkih sadržaja. Kako bi se utvrdilo znanje koje nastavnici imaju o učeničkom učenju, važno je ispitati vještine modeliranja budućih nastavnika u rješavanju računskih operacija s razlomcima. U ovome se radu u navedenome kontekstu istražuju vještine modeliranja koje posjeduju budući nastavnici matematike u višim razredima osnovnih škola u rješavanju računskih operacija množenja i dijeljenja razlomaka. Istraživanje je provedeno na uzorku od 104 buduća nastavnika matematike u višim razredima osnovnih škola koji studiraju na učiteljskim fakultetima na dva različita turska sveučilišta. Za prikupljanje podataka upotrijebljen je Test modeliranja računskih operacija s razlomcima (engl. Modeling Fractions Test – MFT) koji se sastoji od tri pitanja o množenju razlomaka i tri o dijeljenju razlomaka. U analizi podataka upotrijebljena je deskriptivna statistika te je svako pitanje analizirano zasebno. Ispitanici su pokazali bolje vještine modeliranja u svojim odgovorima na pitanja s računskim operacijama množenja, nego dijeljenja, izradili su bolje modele u slučaju operacija množenja i dijeljenja cijelih brojeva i jediničnih razlomaka te je polovica ispitanika potpuno točno odgovorila na pitanja u TMR-u

STUDENTS’ ABILITY TO MAKE SENSE OF ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS AND THEIR VERBAL EQUIVALENTS

This study aims to reveal the 6th-grade students’ ability to write and understand the verbal expressions (VE) of algebraic expressions (AE) and AE of VE. 238 sixth graders studying in five middle schools in two provinces of Turkey participated in the study. Algebraic Expressions Test (AET), consisting of 24 items, was developed and used as a data collection tool. In the research, quantitative data were analyzed with a t-test and qualitative data were analyzed with content analysis technique. Evidence was found that the performance of the participants was above the average (x ̅=2,05). There was no significant difference between the achievements of male students and female students. On the other hand, it was determined that the students ignored the parenthesis, did not pay attention to the priority of operation and the priority of the fraction line, couldn’t comprehend equality, generally wrote the same type of VE, and could not interpret AE.  Article visualizations

Relationship between mental computation and mathematical reasoning

Mental computation and mathematical reasoning are two intertwined top-level mental activities. In deciding which strategy to use when doing mental computing, mathematical reasoning is essential. From this reciprocal influence, the current study aims at examining the relationship between mental computation and mathematical reasoning. The study was carried out with 118 fifth-grade students (11–12-year-olds). As data collection tool, “mathematical reasoning test” and “mental computation test” were developed and used. In analyzing the data, Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) between participants’ scores of each test was computed. Some sample student responses to some questions in both tests were also presented directly. Evidence was found that there is a significant positive correlation between mental computation and mathematical reasoning. It is noteworthy that rather than exposing students to familiar classical problems, students need to be enabled to deal with exceptional/non-routine problems, and especially young children should be encouraged to do mental computing in order for developing both skills. On the other hand, students must be asked to write the strategies they use and on which grounds they preferred them while solving the problems

Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ Views on the Challenging Reasons for Learning of Probability Subject

anemonThis study aims at examining the reasons making learning the subject ‘probability’ difficult in view of secondary school mathematics teachers. The study was carried out with 38 secondary school mathematics teachers working in different schools located in a city of Turkey. Data were collected by means of a form consisting of two open-ended questions. The data were analyzed and codes from the data, three sub-themes and one main theme from codes were obtained by using content analysis technique. As a result of the analysis, evidence was found that the reasons arised from student (negative attitude, lack of prior knowledge, not being associated with daily life, insufficient reasoning, misconceptions), from teacher (lack of knowledge and inexperience, negative attitude, inability to use appropriate teaching strategies) and from some other factors (abstractness of the subject, age, crowded classrooms, exam-based teaching).Bu çalışmanın amacı, ortaokul matematik öğretmenlerinin olasılık konusunun öğrenilmesini zorlaştıran nedenlere ilişkin görüşlerini belirlemektir. Çalışma grubu, Türkiye’nin bir ilindeki farklı okullarda görev yapan 38 ortaokul matematik öğretmeninden oluşmaktadır. Araştırmanın verileri, iki açık uçlu sorudan oluşan bir form vasıtasıyla toplanmıştır. Elde edilen verilerin içerik analizi yapılarak, verilerden kodlar, kodlardan üç alt tema ve bir ana tema elde edilmiştir. Yapılan analizler sonucunda, olasılık konusunun öğrenilmesini zorlaştıran nedenlerin öğrenciden (olumsuz tutum, yetersiz önbilgi, günlük hayatla ilişkilendirememe, yetersiz muhakeme, kavram yanılgıları), öğretmenden (bilgi ve tecrübe eksikliği, olumsuz tutum, uygun öğretim stratejisi kullanılmaması) ve diğer bazı nedenlerden (konunun soyut olması, yaşın etkisi, sınıfların kalabalık olması, sınav odaklı öğretim) kaynaklandığı ortaya çıkarılmıştır.25853