Determination of Middle School Students’ Interest in Mathematics: The Case of Grades 7 and 8

Year 2020, Issue: 50, 491 - 510, 01.09.2020

Emine Özgür Şen , Zeynep Koyunlu Ünlü

https://doi.org/10.9779/pauefd.563524

Abstract

As in every field, interest is an important factor in learning mathematics. Determining students’ interest in mathematics and the implementation of activities according to the results could positively influence their achievement in this area. In Turkey, research into student interest is generally limited to scientific and vocational interest, with a limited number of studies having been conducted on the interest of middle school students with mathematics. Thus, this study was conducted to elicit middle school students’ mathematical interests and designed as a mixed model. Within the scope of the study, the “Mathematical Interest Scale for Middle School Students” was developed by the researchers, taking into account the theoretical frame of interest for quantitative data and the relevant literature. In addition, a semi-structured interview form was prepared to elicit qualitative data to obtain in-depth knowledge about the factors affecting middle school students’ interest in mathematics. The quantitative and qualitative stages of the study were conducted with 1671 students (827 female, 844 male) and 17 students (10 female, 7 male), respectively. The results revealed that seventh-grade students had a high level and eighth-grade students had a moderate level of interest in mathematics. Furthermore, female students’ interest in mathematics was at a high level and that of male students were at a moderate or high level. The students reported the factors that affected their interest in mathematics as themselves, their family, and their teachers.

Keywords

Interest, mathematics, middle school students, mixed model, scale development

Supporting Institution

Yozgat Bozok University Project Coordination Application and Research Center

Project Number

EF/18-154 code

Thanks

This research was supported by Yozgat Bozok University Project Coordination Application and Research Center (EF/18-154 code). Part of this research was orally presented in ERPA-2018 International Congresses on Education (İstanbul, 28.06-1.07.2018).

Ortaokul Öğrencilerinin Matematiğe Yönelik İlgilerinin Belirlenmesi: 7 ve 8. Sınıflar

Abstract

Her alanda olduğu gibi matematiği öğrenmek için ilgi önemli bir unsurdur. Yapılan çalışmalar ilginin, öğrenmeyi pozitif yönde etkilediğini göstermektedir. Öğrencilerin matematiğe olan ilgilerinin tespit edilmesi ve bu tespitlere yönelik uygulamaların yapılması onların başarılarını etkileyebilir. Ülkemizde ilgi üzerine yapılan çalışmalar genellikle fen ve mesleki ilgi alana yönelik olmakla birlikte ortaokul öğrencilerinin matematiğe yönelik ilgileri ile ilgili sınırlı sayıda araştırma yapılmıştır. Bu düşünceden yola çıkarak, çalışmada ortaokul öğrencilerinin matematiğe yönelik ilgilerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma, karma model olarak tasarlanmıştır. Çalışma kapsamında; nicel veriler için ilginin kuramsal çerçevesi ve ilgili literatür dikkate alınarak “Ortaokul Öğrencileri için Matematik İlgi Ölçeği”, araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilmiştir. Ayrıca, nitel veriler için yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu hazırlanmış böylelikle ortaokul öğrencilerinin matematiğe olan ilgilerini etkileyen faktörler hakkında derinlemesine bilgi edinmek hedeflenmiştir. Araştırmanın nicel boyutuna 1671 (827 kız, 844 erkek) ve nitel boyutuna 17 (10 kız, 7 erkek), 7 ve 8. sınıf öğrencisi katılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda; 7. sınıf öğrencileri matematik ilgileri yüksek düzey aralığında, 8. sınıf öğrencilerinin ise orta düzey aralığında olduğu ayrıca kız öğrencilerin matematik ilgileri yüksek düzey aralığında, erkek öğrencilerin ise orta ve yüksek düzey aralığında eşit oranda olduğu görülmüştür. Öğrenciler matematiğe yönelik ilgilerini etkileyen faktörleri kişinin kendisi, aile ve öğretmen olarak belirlemişlerdir.

Keywords

İlgi, ölçek geliştirme, matematik, ortaokul öğrencileri, karma yöntem.

Project Number

EF/18-154 code

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