Identifying the beliefs of sixth grade students about solving mathematics problems using metaphors

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

1 Department of Mathematics, - Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University

2 Department of Mathematics. Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Students' mathematical performance and their mathematical beliefs have a mutual effect on each other. In the process of mathematics teaching-learning, students' beliefs are being formed. Also, when students face more challenging problems, their beliefs undergo changes. The purpose of this research is to investigate the beliefs of sixth grade elementary students about solving mathematics problems based on metaphors. Methods: The research was done using a descriptive-survey method. The statistical population is the sixth grade female students of Shahrekord District 2, 30 of whom were selected based on random-cluster sampling. The research tool was a questionnaire containing two problems and at the end of each problem, there was a question related to the students' point of view. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. First, students' metaphors about problem 1 were categorized into 7 categories and about problem 2 into 4 categories, which indicated positive, neutral or negative beliefs. Findings: Among these categories were "lawful", "beneficial" and "annoying" and it shows that some consider solving mathematical problems as requiring laws and algorithms and some believed that these problems are useful in life and some described them as painful and annoying. Conclusion: The results showed that 56.7 percent have positive or neutral beliefs about problem 1 and 43.3 percent about problem 2. Also, 52.2 percent of the students who gave correct responses in problem 1 and 33.3 percent of students who gave correct responses in problem 2 presented positive metaphors and 85.7 percent of the students who answered problem 1 and 21.1 percent of the students who gave an incorrect response for problem 2 or left it nonresponse mentioned negative metaphors.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Alvarez, M. J. I. (2023). Relationship Between Mathematics Beliefs and Student Engagement in Mathematics as Mediated by Creative Self-Efficacy. Epra International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (Ijmr), 9(3), 93-102. https://doi.org/10.36713/epra12481
Amid, H. (2010). Amid Persian dictionary. 5th edition. Tehran: Rahe roshd.  
Awofala, A. O., & Sopekan, O. S. (2020). Early-Years future teachers' mathematical beliefs as determinants of performance in primary mathematics. Journal of research and advances in mathematics education, 5(1), 54-68. https://doi.org/10.23917/jramathedu.v5i1.9433
Bahadır, E. (2016). Metaphorıcal perceptions of geometrical concepts by secondary school students identified as gifted and identified as non-gifted. International online journal of educational sciences, 8(1), 118-137. http://dx.doi.org/10.15345/iojes.2016.01.011
Can, A. A. (2021). Ilkokul dördüncü sınıf öğrencilerinin matematik problemi çözmeye ilişkin algılarının metaforlar yoluyla analizi. Uşak üniversitesi eğitim araştırmaları dergisi, 7(1), 103-118. https://doi.org/10.29065/usakead.882143
Chan, K. K., & Reynolds, B. L. (2022). Metaphoric Beliefs of Students Engaged in Dynamic Mathematics Lessons. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 18(10), Em2169.‏ https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/12463
Ertem Akbas, E., & Cancan, M. (2020). Metaphors formed by 6th and 7th grade students regarding the difficulties they experienced in the process of learning the subject of circle. International online journal of education and teaching, 7(3), 1054-1075. https://doi.org/10.5642/jhummath.202102.05
Fadaee, M., & Ahmad Pour Mobarakeh, F. (2013). Beliefs, the cornerstone of teaching. Roshd Mathematics Education. 107, 16-21. [In Persian]  http://magiran.com/p967905
González, G. (2013). A Geometry teacher's use of a metaphor in relation to a prototypical image to help students remember a set of theorems. The journal of mathematical behavior, 32(3), 397-414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmathb.2013.04.007
Habók, A., Magyar, A., Németh, M. B., & Csapó, B. (2020). Motivation and self-related beliefs as predictors of academic achievement in reading and mathematics: structural equation models of longitudinal data. International journal of educational research, 103, 101634. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101634
Hakim, A. R., Dewi, M. L., Zamrudy, W., Dewajani, H., & Ro'isatin, U. A. (2023). How Student Beliefs Related to Mathematics Are Influenced by Students' Past Experiences. Technium., 43, 97-101. https://doi.org/10.47577/tssj.v43i1.8738
Halverscheid, S., & Rolka, K. (2006). Student beliefs about mathematics encoded in pictures and words. Proceedings of the 30th conference of the international group for the psychology of mathematics education (vol. 3, pp. 233-240). Prague, czech republic. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED496933.pdf#page=241
Hessam, A. (2012). Beliefs in mathematics education. Roshd Mathematics Education, 29(2), 4-10. ]In Persian[ https://www.roshdmag.ir/Roshdmag_content/media/Magazine2/fa/2011­/1­1­­/­480.pdf
Horzum, T., & Yildirim, G. (2016). High school students’ metaphors about geometry. Mehmet akif ersoy üniversitesi eğitim fakültesi dergisi, 1(40), 357-374. https://doi.org/10.21764/efd.53998
Ismail, N., Abdullah, N. H. M., Osman, R., Ramli, N., & Hilmi, Z. A. G. (2021). Primary school pupils’ images of mathematics. Journal of physics: conference series (Vol. 1988, No. 1, P. 012051). Iop publishing https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1988/1/012051
Lakoff, G.& Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. Chicago and London: university of Chicago press. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo3637992.html
Markovits, Z., & Forgasz, H. (2017). “Mathematics is like a lion”: elementary students’ beliefs about mathematics. Educational studies in mathematics, 96(1), 49-64. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-017-9759-2
Morali, S., Uğurel, I., & Koçyiğit, S. (2022). Matematik öğretmen adaylarının matematik ve onun doğasına ilişkin metaforik algıları ve zihinsel imgeleri. Batı anadolu eğitim bilimleri dergisi, 13(1), 27-51. https://doi.org/10.51460/baebd.1036337
Pehkonen, E. (1995). Pupils' view of mathematics: Initial report for an international comparison project. research report 152. University of Helsinki, department of teacher education, po box 38 (ratakatu 6a), Helsinki 00014, Finland. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED419712.pdf
Rupnow, R. L. (2019). Examining connections among instruction, conceptual metaphors, and beliefs of instructors and students (Doctoral dissertation, virginia tech). http://hdl.handle.net/10919/92012
Schinck, A. G., Neale Jr, H. W., Pugalee, D. K., & Cifarelli, V. V. (2008). Using metaphors to unpack student beliefs about mathematics. School science and mathematics, 108(7), 326-333. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1949-8594.2008.tb17845.x
Schonfeld, A. H (1985). Students’ beliefs about mathematics and their effect on mathematical performance: a questionnaire analysis. Paper presented in the annual meeting of the american educational research association. Chicago. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED259950.pdf
Shabani, M., & Yaftian, N. (2022). What beliefs do students have about their ability to do mathematics activities?. Roshd Mathematics Education, 39(2), 4-8. ]In Persian[  https://www.roshdmag.ir/fa/magazine2/issue/accordionarchive/1400/10/26
Shabani, M., & Yaftian, N. (2022). A review of common beliefs about mathematics, 52th annual Iranian mathematics conference. ]In Persian[ https://aimc52.uk.ac.ir/
Son, J. W., & Lee, M. Y. (2021). Exploring the Relationship Between Preservice Teachers’ Conceptions of Problem Solving and Their Problem-Solving Performances. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 19, 129-150.‏ https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-019-10045-w
Syamsuri, Bahtiar, Ramlan. (2023). Determining the Relationship between 11th Students' Attitude Towards Mathematics and Their Achievement in Mathematics. Technium , 39, 148-154. https://doi.org/10.47577/tssj.v39i1.8056
Yee, S. P. (2012). Students' metaphors for mathematical problem solving. Kent State University. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1340197978
Yee, S. P. (2017). Students’ and teachers’ conceptual metaphors for mathematical problem solving. School Science and Mathematics, 117(3-4), 146-157. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12217
 
Theory and Practice in Teachers Education
Volume 10, Issue 17
April 2024
Pages 107-92

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics