Learning environment, attitudes and anxiety across the transition from primary to secondary school mathematics

Past research has revealed that, relative to primary-school students, high-school students have less-positive attitudes to mathematics and perceive their classroom environments and teacher–student relationships less favourably. This study involved the transition experience of 541 students in 47 classes in 15 primary (year 7) and secondary (year 8) government and Catholic schools in metropolitan and regional South Australia. Scales were adapted from three established instruments, namely, the What Is Happening In this Class?, Test of Mathematics Related Attitudes and Revised Mathematics Anxiety Ratings Scale, to identify changes across the transition from primary to secondary school in terms of the classroom learning environment and students’ attitude/anxiety towards mathematics. Relative to year 7 students, year 8 students reported less Involvement, less positive Attitude to Mathematical Inquiry, less Enjoyment of Mathematics and greater Mathematics Anxiety. Differences between students in Years 7 and 8 were very similar for male and female students, although the magnitude of sex differences in attitudes was slightly different in Years 7 and 8

Determining eighth grade students' understandings and difficulties of linear functions

The aim of this study is to determine eighth grade students' understandings and difficulties of linear functions, especially on transition between line graphs and equations. This study was conducted with sixty 8 th grade students from Turkey. A nine-item instrument demanding written answers about graphical and algebraic representations of linear equations and theirs graphs was used. It was found that students mostly have difficulties about transferring from graphical to algebraic representation. It was also determined that some students could not comprehend the connection between slope, x and y-intercepts. This study revealed that many students' understandings of line graph and its equation was superficial. The results provide us a means for discussing students' conceptualizations and difficulties of linear functions and also allow us to consider further educational implications in mathematics education. © Sila Science. All rights reserved

An investigation of pre-service mathematics teachers' perceptions related to the importance of measurement and assessment methods

The purpose of this study is to examine pre-service mathematics teachers' (PSM teachers) perceptions related to the importance of measurement and assessment tools and methods. This study was conducted with 124 senior primary and secondary PSM teachers in Turkey. As instrument, a scale consisting of 4 sub-factors and twenty four 5-point Likert type items was used regarding the measurement and assessment methods. The data were analyzed using SPSS software program with one-way ANOVA and independent samples t-test. In this study, it was determined that PSM teachers perceived the performance and traditional assessment methods as the most important, while they perceived the objective assessment methods as the least important. It was also revealed that their perceptions of importance about some of the alternative assessment methods were not at the expected level. In addition, it was found that there were no significant differences among PSM teachers' perceptions towards assessment tools and methods in terms of gender and branch. © Sila science. all rights reserved