THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEARNING STYLES OF 7th GRADES STUDENTS AND THEIR ATTITUDES AND ANXIETIES TOWARDS MATHEMATICS

Abstract

This study investigates the correlation between 7th grade students' learning styles and their attitudes and anxiety toward mathematics. The research surveyed 7th-grade students from a state middle school in the Mezitli district, Mersin province, during the second semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. The sample consisted of 100 students from a middle school. The Kolb Learning Styles Inventory, Mathematics Anxiety Scale, and Mathematics Attitude Scale were utilised to identify students' learning styles, math anxiety levels, and attitudes towards mathematics. The data was analysed using the SPSS program. The study sample was determined through the use of frequencies and percentages. The Chi-square independence test was applied to find the relationship between the variables of the research. It was revealed that 45% of 7th-grade students exhibited a "Divergent" learning style, while 24% were "Assimilative," 17% were "Convergent," and 14% were "Accommodator." The study noticed no significant correlation between the learning style of 7th-grade students, their attitudes towards mathematics, and their anxiety. It observed moderate attitudes towards mathematics and mathematics anxiety levels among the students participating.  

Keywords: learning styles, mathematices anxiety, mathematices attitude

Ethics and Conflict of Interest

All ethical rules were observed at each stage of the research. The authors declare that he acted in accordance with ethical rules in all processes of the research. The authors declare that they do not have any conflict of interest with other persons, institutions or organizations.

REFERENCES

Ağdacı, A. Y. (2021). Sekizinci sınıf matematik kaygısı yaşayan öğrencilerin kaygılarının sebeplerinin incelenmesi [Examination of the reasons for eight grade students' mathematics anxiety who are suffering from mathematics through student interviews] [Unpublished master’s thesis]. İstanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, Institute of Educational Sciences.

Ahmadi, S., & Ahmadi, M. (2012). The relationship between mathematics anxiety and learning styles of students. Curriculum Planning Knowledge and Research in Educational Sciences, 8(31), 89-102. https://sid.ir/paper/127447/en

Altun, M. (2006). Matematik öğretiminde gelişmeler [The development in mathematics teaching]. Journal of Uludag University Faculty of Education, 19(2), 223-238. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/uefad/issue/16684

Anuar, N., Abdullah, N., & Hod, S. N. S. (2020). Pre-university students' learning styles and attitude towards mathematics achievements. Advances in Science, Technology and Engineering Systems, 5(6), 269-273. http://doi.org/10.25046/aj050632   

Aşkar, P., & Akkoyunlu, B. (1993). Kolb öğrenme stili envanteri. Eğitim ve Bilim, 87, 37-47. https://educationandscience.ted.org.tr/issue/view/1993-17-87

Aydın, B. (2016). Examination of the relationship between eighth grade students' learning styles and attitudes towards mathematics. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 4(2), 124-130. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1082897

Banaga, A. (2018). Learning style and mathematics anxiety of Calawis national high school students [Unpublished master’s thesis]. University College Roosevelt.

Başarır, D. (1990). Ortaokul son sınıf öğrencilerinde sınav kaygısı, durumluk kaygı, akademik başarı ve sınav başarısı arasındaki ilişkiler [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Hacettepe University.

Berber, M. (2021). Rasyonel sayılar konusunun farklılaştırılmış öğretim yöntemi ile öğretiminin farklı öğrenme stillerine sahip olan yedinci sınıf öğrencilerinin akademik başarılarına ve matematik kaygılarına etkisi [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Bursa Uludağ University.

Bindak, R. (2005). İlköğretim öğrencileri için matematik kaygı ölçeği. Fırat Üniversitesi Fen ve Mühendislik Bilimleri Dergisi, 17(2), 442-448. https://toad.halileksi.net/olcek/ilkogretim-ogrencileri-icin-matematik-kaygi-olcegi/

Bostancı, Y. (2020). İlkokul 4. sınıf öğrencilerinin matematik kaygıları ile matematik başarıları arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi ve matematik kaygısını oluşturan etmenlerin belirlenmesi [Mathematics anxiety of primary school 4th grade students examining the relationship between mathematics achievements and determining the factors that cause math anxiety] [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University.

Cook, R. P. (1997). An exploration of the relationship between mathematics anxiety level and perceptual learning style of adult learners in a community college setting [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Florida Atlantic University, Institute of Educational Sciences.

Coşkun, N., & Demirtaş, V. Y. (2014). Öğrenme stillerine göre ortaokul öğrencilerinin matematik dersi başarı ve kaygı düzeyleri. Kastamonu Eğitim Dergisi, 23(2), 549-564. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/kefdergi/article/241419

Çetinkaya, H. (2017). Öğrenme stillerinin matematik kaygısı üzerine etkisi [A scrutiny on the relation between the learning styles and mathematics anxieties of high school students] [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Necmettin Erbakan University.

Demirgören, D. (2010). İzmir ili öğretmen lisesi öğrencilerinin matematik dersine yönelik tutumları ve kullandıkları öğrenme sratejileri [Attitudes of teacher education students in the city of İzmir towards mathematic courses and their learning strategies] [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Dokuz Eylül University.

Elçi, A. N. (2008). Öğrenme stillerine uygun olarak seçilen öğrenme yöntemlerinin öğrencinin başarısına, matematiğe yönelik tutumuna ve kaygısına etkileri [The effects of learning methods chosen in accordance to the learning styles on the achievements of the student,on his attitudes and his anxiety towards mathematics] [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Dokuz Eylül University.

Erol, B. (2013). İlköğretim matematik öğretmenliği 2. sınıf öğrencilerinin fizik dersine yönelik tutumları ile öğrenme stilleri arasındaki ilişki [The correlation between the attitudes to physic class and learning styles of second class prospective teachers in the primary school mathematics teaching] [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Dokuz Eylül University.

Ersoy, E., & Güner, P. (2014). Matematik öğretimi ve matematiksel düşünme [Mathematics teaching and mathematical thinking]. Eğitim ve Öğretim Araştırmaları Dergisi, 3(2), 102-112.

Esa, S., & Mohamed, N. A. (2017, May). A study of students’ learning styles and mathematics anxiety amongst form four students in Kerian Perak. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 1847, No. 1). AIP Publishing. doi:10.1063/1.4983879

Gencel, İ. E. (2006). Öğrenme stilleri, deneyimsel öğrenme kuramına dayalı eğitim, tutum ve sosyal bilgiler program hedeflerine erişi düzeyi [Learning styles, instruction based on kolb's experiential learning theory, attitude and social studies achievement] [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Dokuz Eylül University.

Gill, J. (1994). Shedding some new light on old truths: Student attitudes to school in terms of year level and gender. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED381438

Göç, T. (2010). İlköğretim öğrencilerinin matematik dersine yönelik tutumları ve başarı güdüsü düzeyleri [Primary school student's attitudes towards mathematics lesson and achivement motivation levels] [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Dokuz Eylül University.

Gresham, G. (2007). An invitation into the investigation of the relationship between mathematics anxiety and learning styles in elementary preservice teachers. Journal of vitical Theory and Practice, 13, 74-33. https://journals.library.brocku.ca/index.php/jitp/article/view/3809

Gündüz, S., & Çelik, H. C. (2016). İlköğretim matematik öğretmen adaylarının akademik başarı ve matematiğe yönelik tutumlarının öğrenme stilleri açısından incelenmesi [Evaluation of academic achievement and attitude toward mathematics in terms of learning styles of primary mathematics teacher candidates]. Dicle Üniversitesi Ziya Gökalp Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, (28), 278-288. https://doi.org/10.14582/DUZGEF.730

İncebacak, B. B., & Ersoy, E. (2016). Matematik neden beni kaygılandırır? [Why does mathematics make me anxious?]. Hayef Journal of Education, 13(2), 1-15.

Karaşahin, İ. (2020). Sınıf ve ortaokul matematik öğretmenlerinin matematik öğretme kaygıları ile öğrencilerin matematik kaygılarının incelenmesi [Examining primary and secondary school mathematics teachers' anxiety in teaching mathematics and their students' mathematics anxiety in terms of some variables] [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Dokuz Eylül University.

Katrancı, Y., & Şengül, S. (2019). Ortaokul öğrencilerinin matematik problemi oluşturma, matematik problemi çözme ve matematiğe yönelik tutumları arasındaki ilişkiler. Eğitim ve Bilim, 44(197). http://dx.doi.org/10.15390/EB.2019.7315      

Koca, S. (2011). İlköğretim 8. sınıf öğrencilerinin matematik başarı, tutum ve kaygılarının öğrenme stillerine göre farklılığının incelenmesi [The investigation of the differences of 8th grades? mathematics achievement, attitude, and anxiety according to their learning styles] [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Afyon Kocatepe University. 

Ohipeni-Ablode, M. (2020). Valıdatıon of the mathematıcs anxıety ratıng scale by zakarıya wıth evıdence from senıor hıgh school students ın the asuogyaman dıstrıct of Ghana [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Kwame Nkrumah University.

Özen, Y., & Gül, A. (2007). Sosyal ve eğitim bilimleri araştirmalarinda evren-örneklem sorunu [Population-sampling issue on social and educational research studies]. Atatürk Üniversitesi Kazım Karabekir Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, (15), 394-422. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ataunikkefd/issue/2776

Özgen, K., & Alkan, H. (2014). Yapılandırmacı öğrenme yaklaşımı kapsamında, öğrencilerin öğrenme stillerine uygun öğrenme etkinliklerinin akademik başarı ve tutuma etkileri: Fonksiyon ve türev kavramı örneklemesi [The effects of learning activities corresponding with students’ learning styles on academic success and attitude within the scope of constructivist learning approach: The case of the concepts of function and derivative]. Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education (TURCOMAT), 5(1), 1-38. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/turkbilmat/issue/21572  

Özgen, K., Ay, M., Kılıç, Z., Özsoy, G., & Alpay, F. N. (2017). Ortaokul öğrencilerinin öğrenme stilleri ve matematiksel problem çözmeye yönelik tutumlarının incelenmesi [Investigation of middle school students' learning styles and attitudes towards mathematical problem solving]. Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Journal of Education Faculty, 1(41), 215-244. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/maeuefd/issue/29057

Peker, M. (2005). İlköğretin matematik öğretmenliğini kazanan öğrencilerin öğrenme stilleri ve matematik başarısı arasındaki ilişki. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research (EJER), (21). https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12418/1567 

Reçber, Ş. (2011). An investigation of the relationship among the seventh grade students' mathematics self efficacy, mathematics anxiety, attitudes towards mathematics and mathematics achievement regarding gender and school type [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Middle East Technical University.

Rojas, P. J. A. R. (2020). Learning styles and attitudes towards mathematics in students at Polısal, Unan Managua. Torreón Universitario, 8(23), 37-47.

Ruchi, S. (2019). Mathematics anxiety among secondary school students in relation to gender attitude parental Education mathematics achievement and school [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Integral University.

Shirvani, H., & Guerra, F. (2017). Do high school students with different styles have different level of math anxiety?. Journal of European Education, 5(3), 20-27.

Sirmaci, N. (2010). The relationship between the attitudes towards mathematics and learning styles. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 9, 644-648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.12.211  

Sloan, T., Daane, C. J., & Giesen, J. (2002). Mathematics anxiety and learning styles: What is the relationship in elementary preservice teachers?. School Science and Mathematics, 102(2), 84-87. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1949-8594.2002.tb17897.x    

Şentürk, B. (2010). İlköğretim beşinci sınıf öğrencilerinin genel başarıları, matematik başarıları, matematik dersine yönelik tutumları ve matematik kaygıları arasındaki ilişki [The relationship between 5th grade students? general achievement, mathematics achievement and attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics anxiety] [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Afyon Kocatepe University.

Tufan, F. (2016). Öğrenme stillerinin ve matematik dersine yönelik tutumların matematik dersinin başarısı üzerine etkisi [Achievement of mathematics attitudes toward learning styles and effects of mathematics] [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Necmettin Erbakan University.

Tumminello, Y. M. C. (1994). The relationship of mathematics anxiety and achievement in an environment of sociological learning style preferences within a group of seventh-grade middle school students [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. The University of Southern Mississippi.

Turan, E. (2009). 10. sınıf Türk dili ve edebiyatı öğretmenlerinin derste kullandıkları öğretim yöntemlerinin öğrencilerin sahip olduğu öğrenme stilleriyle uygunluğunun incelenmesi (Gaziantep ili örneği) [An analysis of the conformity of the teaching methods used by high school teachers with different learning styles of 10th grade students (A case study in Gaziantep)] [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Gaziantep University.

Yaşar, M. (2016). High school students' attitudes towards mathematics. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education. https://www.ejmste.com/article/high-school-students-attitudes-towards-mathematics-4518

Yücel, Z., & Mustafa, K. O. Ç. (2011). İlköğretim öğrencilerinin matematik dersine karşı tutumlarının başarı düzeylerini yordama gücü ile cinsiyet arasındaki ilişki [The relationship between the prediction level of elementary school students’ math achievement by their math attitudes and gender]. İlköğretim Online, 10(1), 133-143.