An analysis of the opportunities to learn afforded by the tasks in a ninth grade Turkish mathematics textbook


Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2019

Tezin Dili: İngilizce

Öğrenci: İMREN BAYRAKTAR

Asıl Danışman (Eş Danışmanlı Tezler İçin): Ayhan Kürşat Erbaş

Özet:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the learning opportunities afforded in the tasks related to the number and quantity in a ninth-grade mathematics textbook used throughout Turkey by the majority of the students. The analysis of the tasks was guided by the PISA 2012 Mathematics Framework in terms of the process capabilities needed to solve tasks, contextualization, and proficiency levels required to solve the tasks. Analysis of the 400 tasks related to the number and quantity revealed that while about 54% of them included the process of employing mathematical concepts, about 44% of the tasks were about formulating situations mathematically. Tasks about the process of interpreting mathematical outcomes were found to be rare, only about 3%. The results also revealed that about 75% of the tasks were decontextualized, which means that they included mathematical structures only without depicting a real-life situation. The quantity questions were also analyzed according to the six proficiency levels described in the PISA 2012 Mathematics Framework. The questions were mostly level 2 and level 3 types implying that students were expected to make direct inferences based on familiar contexts, carry out procedures and calculations that were clearly described in the problem context, and select and apply problem-solving strategies that were not needed to insight to choose the problem-solving strategy. The findings of the study revealed about Turkish students’ learning opportunities afforded by the mathematics textbooks that have important implications for teachers and textbook writers for the use of different types of tasks in order to provide better learning opportunities in mathematics for the student