THE EXAMINATION OF 7TH GRADE STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENTS IN MATHEMATICAL PATTERNS

Year 2016, Volume: 4 , 519 - 529, 01.09.2016

Mihriban Hacısalihoğlu Karadeniz Cemalettin Yıldız

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the 7^th grade
students’ achievements in mathematical patterns presented by figures, tables,
number sequences, and word problems. This research is a
situation determination study where quantitative methodology is used. The sample of the study consisted of 47 female and 50 male
students, totally 97 students from 7^th grades in Giresun city on
2015-2016 academic year. Pattern topic oriented 7 questions were used as the
data gathering tool. The questions which focused on the attainments of pattern
topic were prepared by the researcher. It was determined that students could
perform specialization in figural patterns but they couldn’t reach a
generalization. In other words, it was observed that students could find the
required steps according to a given rule and so they could easily reach the
situation which involved operational knowledge. Also, it was seen that although
students found the number of figures in the next step of the pattern, they
couldn’t find the general rule that represented the pattern. Another result of
the study was that students could recognize patterns of number sequences but
they couldn’t find the general term of the pattern. Lastly, it was determined
that students couldn’t understand patterns which were represented as word
problems and they failed at these kind of pattern questions but they had
success in pattern questions represented by tables. In this context, it can be
offered to give much place to representation forms of patterns by figures,
tables, number sequences, and word problems while students are given
experiences of patterns.

Keywords

Elementary school mathematics curriculum, numbers and operations learning domain, algebra learning domain, pattern representation forms, 7th grade students

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