International Online Journal of Education and Teaching (Apr 2017)
The effects of Realistic Mathematics Education on students’ achievements and attitudes in fifth grades mathematics courses
Abstract
The aim of this research is to analyse the effects of realistic mathematics education on student achievement and attitudes towards mathematics on the unit ‘numbers and operations’ for the 5th grades. The Effectiveness of Academic Achievement, Attitude and Mathematical Self- Report of Students in Teaching with Realistic Mathematics Education is the experimental direction of the research. This aspect of the research was carried out with the pretest-posttest control group pattern.For this reason, two classes were randomly identified. After seeing that the groups were equivalent using the Achievement test of Group Equivalency, Learning Area Achievement Test and Scale of Attitudes towards Mathematics were applied to both groups. After the application was conducted, the experimental group was taught the unit using the Realistic Mathematics Education activities for 7 weeks. On the other hand, the control group was taught the topic using the activities suggested by the Ministry of Education. Learning Area Achievement Test and Scale of Attitudes towards Mathematics were conducted again as post-tests, and the results were evaluated by comparing them with the pre-test results. After this comparison, it was seen that the Academic Achievement and the attitudes of students who were taught in accordance with the Realistic Mathematics Education was higher than the students who were taught by classical methods.
