Ortaokul Öğrencilerin Modelleme Deneyimleri: Kağıttan Uçak Yapma Yarışması Problemi

Bu araştırma Karadeniz bölgesinde yer alan büyük bir ilin merkezinde bulunan bir devlet okulunun ortaokul 7. sınıf öğrencileri ile gerçekleştirilmiş nitel bir çalışmadır. Araştırmacılar modelleme deneyimi olmayan 7. sınıf öğrencilerinin matematik derslerine katılarak sınıf içi gözlemlerde ve öğrencilerle etkileşimde bulunmuşlardır. Çalışmada yer alacak üç öğrenci amaçlı örnekleme yöntemlerinden birisi olan ölçüt örnekleme yöntemi kullanılarak belirlenmişlerdir. Belirlenen araştırma grubundan model oluşturma etkinliği olan Kağıttan Uçak Yapma Yarışması Problemi üzerinde çalışmaları istenmiş ve tüm süreç video ile kayıt altına alınmıştır. Veriler transkript edilerek, öğrencilerin problemi çözerken kullandıkları yazılı cevaplar ile düşünce süreçleri nitel araştırma teknikleri kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma sonuçları verilen etkinlik üzerinde öğlencilerin problemi anlamakta zorluk yaşadıklarını gösterirken, problemde öğrencilerden istenilen durumlar için ayrı ayı stratejiler geliştirdiklerini ve genel bir galibi belirlemek için her bir değişkeni birlikte ele alabilecekleri yeni bir değişken oluşturarak soruya çözüm getirdiklerini ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca öğrenciler değişkenler için geliştirilen stratejiler üzerinde matematiksel işlem yapmada güçlüklerle karşılaşmalarına rağmen, grup içi tartışmalar sonucu bu güçlüklerin üstesinden gelmeye çalıştıkları gözlemlenmiştir.

Middle School Students’ Modeling Experiences: A Paper Plane Contest Problem

Given the goals of mathematics education, it has become critical for students to understand and explain mathematical concepts and concept systems, test hypotheses, analyze and explain relationships as well as learn how to reconstruct. Today, it is not enough to only memorize the mathematical processes and then apply it to similar problem situations. To prepare students for their future beyond the school, it is required that students are able to gain experience on complex problem situations that help them to develop mathematical thinking and constructing new mathematical concepts. Mathematical model and modeling approach can be used for the solution of complex problems that represent real-life situations in which students have actively participated. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine 7th grade students’ modeling processes while working on the Paper Plane Contest Problem and identified difficulties they confronted in the process. This qualitative research was conducted during the 2015-2016 academic year, in a middle school in a large city along the Black Sea Region of Turkey. Participants were 7th grade students in a state school. Three students among them were selected as a focus group using criterion sampling technique. They then were given the Paper Plane Contest Problem and asked to work on this problem. They were video-taped while they were working on the problem. Mathematical thoughts and written responses of the 7th grade students were analyzed using descriptive analysis method. The results showed that students (a) had difficulties to understand the problem, (b) developed different strategies for required situations, and (c) selected winner for Best Overall while taking into account of each measurement. In addition, although students faced difficulties to make mathematical operations, they were able to work together in group to overcome this problem.

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