MATHEMATICAL THINKING PROCESSES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN POLYGON PROBLEMS

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The aim of this research was to examine the mathematical thinking processes of 8^th-grade students in problems involving polygons. Qualitative research methods were used in the data collection, analysis, and interpretation stages. Data were collected from a total of eight students by using the clinical interview method. The students were given polygon problems where they were expected to reach generalizations, and the obtained data were thematically analyzed. During ‘understanding the problem’ phase of the specializing process, the students were able to understand the problems that they were already familiar with, but they had difficulties when they met a geometric problem that looked different. Also, those students with high achievement levels had more attacks compared to the other students and they turned to different strategies even if they were frustrated. Nevertheless, most of the students who reached the expected generalization and verbally expressed it had difficulty in expressing the generalization algebraically. The students who reached the generalizations using the geometric approach were able to easily justify the generalizations that they made, whereas only those students who used the numerical approach were unable to justify their generalizations.

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Mathematics education , mathematical thinking , polygon problems , problem solving

Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi

633

Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi