Contribution
The quality of learning as a 'production' and also the quality of instruction as a 'procedure' are two core elements, which have led most of the studies in the filed of educational psychology to investigate the problems pertain to learning and teaching process particularly in mathematics. The main purpose of this study was a comprehensive investigation of the problem in terms of learning and teaching mathematics. International-multi-stage studies on Iranian samples in middle schools conducted by TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) revealed that students in schools were interfered with many problems regarding both production and procedure goals. The results also posited that the means of performance in Iranian students in third grade of middle schools (i.e. grade 8) were 5 percent lower than those of in all 19 countries. These students, however, have received the rank 18 among 19 countries in math essay tests (Kiamanesh, 1997). In this respect, the present study has aimed at finding out more about the following main questions; "which variables had greater associations with students' problems in learning mathematics" and “what is the current profile of teaching mathematics in middle schools”. This study also had aimed at investigating the students' problem in learning mathematics as dependent variable by studying the chief rules of math cognitive strategy and learning styles as two independent variables. However, to pursue the main research questions, four objectives, four questions, and two hypotheses were propounded. In spite of the fact that the students’ problems in learning mathematics have been investigated in different approaches, cognitive approach is the one that most studies have utilized it as a grounded theory.
Methodology: The needed information has been collected from 756 middle school students and 162 teachers. For students' population I utilized a multi-stage cluster sampling method, but for teachers' population the simple random method was employed. Two instrument were used to gathering the information from students' sample namely; Math Cognitive strategy Questionnaire (made up by researcher) with 20 close-ended questions, and Learning Style Inventory (Beatrice, 1993). For teachers' sample, a multiple-choice questionnaire with seven scenarios was made up measuring teachers' quality of math instruction.
Conclusions: The results have revealed that lack of motivation and poor prerequisites for learning mathematics are the main problem reported by teachers. These parts of findings are consistence with TIMSS studies. The results regarding teaching showed a deep gap between the improper method teachers used to teach mathematics and the more proper methods they would have used having learned at teacher training centres. They mainly prefer not to teach in terms of curriculum. The results have also revealed that the achieved student (i.e. with high ability in mathematics) significantly were more strategic than under-achieved students (t = 8/56, p < 0/0001). However, in overall girls showed that they were more strategic than boys. Regarding learning style, the achieved student tend to have Visual Learning Style (t = 2/83, p<0/005), whereas under-achieved student showed the Audio Learning Style (t = -3/3/83, p < 0/0001). This finding despite a wide range of implications for educational authorities, were parallel to the majority of study in the field of learning style (e.g., Rorark, 1998).
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