Affective Characteristics Predicting 15-Year-Old Students Mathematics Literacy Skills in Turkey

The aim of this study is to examine the affective characteristics of the 15-year-old students in Turkey, significantly predicting their mathematics literacy skills and competencies, according to the PISA 2012 results. This study has been executed as a basic research and has been designed as a correlational research. Secondary level analyses have been performed on PISA 2012 Turkey student questionnaire data by using structural equation modelling. PISA 2012 Turkey sample is composed of 170 schools and 4 848 students. In order to handle with missing data problem, in this study, Student Questionnaire Form B data were preferred to use. This form was answered by 1 598 students. Within the aim of this study, a secondary level structural model has been constructed. This model is including 12 observed variables and 4 primary-level latent variables and 1 secondary-level latent variable. According to this model, among primary level latent variables, best predictor of students’ mathematics literacy skills is ‘behaviour of problem solving’. Among indicators, best predictors are ‘perseverance’, ‘mathematics anxiety’ and ‘openness for problem solving’ as well.