The Effect of a Learning Environment Designed Using Different Teaching Methods on Mathematical Reasoning and Mathematics Attitude

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of a learning environment enriched by using different teaching methods on mathematical reasoning and mathematics attitude. The study was carried out with the participation of 27 seventh-grade students who study at a state middle school randomly selected from a provincial center in Turkey. Instruction of fractions and integers was performed in the designed learning environment for 8 weeks (32 lesson hours in total) by using educational games, concrete materials, cartoons, computer-aided applications, and associating with daily life and discussing in cooperative heterogeneous groups. The data were obtained from students’ responses to the Mathematical Reasoning Test (MRT) and the Mathematical Attitude Scale (MAS) on pretest and posttest. Responses to MRT and MAS were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test. Analyzes have shown that the intervention in this environment improves students’ mathematical reasoning significantly and improves their attitudes towards mathematics to a significant degree. It has been observed that through open-ended problems presented in cooperative groups, instead of focusing on the answer options, students tried to provide a solution, explaining the solution, discussing it with their group friends, developing different strategies and thus they were found to have more mathematical reasoning. This result underscores the need to use open-ended problems in determining, evaluating, and improving mathematical reasoning.

Keywords

• öğrenme ortamı tasarımı
• matematiksel muhakeme
• tutum
• yedinci sınıf öğrencileri
• açık uçlu problemler