The Effects of a Functional Thinking Intervention on Fifth-Grade Students’ Functional Thinking

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Akin G., İŞLER BAYKAL I.

Hacettepe Egitim Dergisi, vol.39, no.1, pp.68-86, 2024 (ESCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 39 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.16986/huje.2023.511
  • Journal Name: Hacettepe Egitim Dergisi
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, EBSCO Education Source, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Page Numbers: pp.68-86
  • Keywords: correspondence thinking, covariational thinking, early algebra, Functional thinking, recursive pattern
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effects of a functional thinking intervention on 5th-grade students’ functional thinking. Forty-three fifth-grade students from two public middle schools in Ankara participated in the study, in which 20 of them formed the experimental group in one school, and 23 of them formed the control group in the other school. The experimental group participated in a functional thinking intervention lasting 12 hours (about three weeks). A Functional Thinking Test (FTT) was administered to both groups as a pre- and post-test. The qualitative analysis of students’ functional thinking strategies supported quantitative analysis. The results revealed no significant mean difference between the experimental and control groups at the pre-test or post-test. However, the experimental group showed significant pre-to-post gains. Also, experimental group students were significantly better at using variables in defining the function rule after the functional thinking intervention.