FACTORS AFFECTING ATTITUDES OF SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS TOWARDS MATHEMATICS: A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL (SEM) APPROACH

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The research was designed to determine the direct, indirect and total effects of a number of factors that affect sixth grade students attitudes towards mathematics. In this respect, the explanatory and predictive relationships between perceived parental influence, mathematics learning approaches, mathematical relationship self-efficacy, basic psychological needs, and attitude towards mathematics were examined. The study group of the research, which was designed according to the survey model, consisted of 416 students in a public middle school in the city center of Izmir. Students aged between 10-12 years, 54,3% (n=226) were female and 45,7% (n=190) were male. As data collection tools in the research; Perceived Parental Effect, Mathematics Learning Approaches, Mathematical Relationship Self-Efficacy, Basic Psychological Needs and Mathematics Attitude scales were used. The collected data were analyzed by Path, which is one of the structural equation models, to reveal direct and indirect causality between external and internal variables through structural equations. According to the findings obtained from research, the attitudes towards mathematics; mathematical relatioship self-efficacy, basic psychological needs and mathematics learning approaches directly affect, the perceived parental influence indirectly. The variables that directly affect attitudes towards mathematics explain 76% of the total variance. The structural equations of attitudes towards mathematics (R^2=0,76; f^2=1,36) have a wide range of impact values. In developing positive attitudes towards mathematics in students; increasing mathematical relationship self-efficacy levels, elimination of basic psychological needs, adopting appropriate learning approaches, and creating a positive parental effect are presented as suggestions.

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Mathematics , attitude , structural equation model (SEM)

Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi

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Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi