Dergiler / Eurasian Journal of Educational Research / 2010 / Cilt: 10 - Sayı: 40
Students' affective characteristics and their relation to mathematical literacy measures in the programme for international student assessment (PISA) 2003
- Sayfa
- 93–112
- DOI
- —
Özet
Problem Durumu: Bu çalışmada, Uluslararası Öğrenci Değerlendirme Programı’nda (PISA 2003) öğrencilerin matematik okur yazarlıkları ile ilişkili duyuşsal faktörler değerlendirilmektedir. Araştırmanın Amacı: Bu çalışmanın amacı, yapısal eşitlik modeli kullanılarak 15 yaşındaki Türk öğrencilerin Uluslararası Öğrenci Değerlendirme Programı’ndaki (PISA 2003) matematik okur yazarlıkları ile ilişkili duyuşsal değişkenlerin incelenmesidir.
Abstract
Background: This study evaluates students’ affective factors that are related to the mathematical literacy skills assessed by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to test a linear structural model to investigate affective variables that are related to the mathematical literacy skills of 15-year-old Turkish students in the PISA 2003. Design and Methods: The PISA data set was analyzed for Turkish students within the framework of linear structural modeling. The affective variables that are presumably related to mathematical literacy skills were assessed by the student questionnaire in the PISA 2003 and were considered in the proposed model. The following were used as variables to explain the mathematical literacy measures of students: Interest in and Enjoyment of Mathematics, Instrumental Motivation in Mathematics, Anxiety in Mathematics, Self-Efficacy in Mathematics, Self-Concept in Mathematics, Sense of Belonging at School, and Disciplinary Climate in Mathematics Lessons. Additionally, the impacts of Sense of Belonging at School and Disciplinary Climate in Mathematics Lessons on Mathematical Literacy were also tested in the proposed model. Thus, both Sense of Belonging at School and Disciplinary Climate in Mathematics Lessons were treated as exogenous and endogenous variables. Results: The greatest relationship was found between Self-Efficacy in Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy. Other significant relationships with Mathematical Literacy were found with the latent variables Interest in and Enjoyment of Mathematics, Anxiety in Mathematics, and Disciplinary Climate for Mathematics Lessons. However, students who indicated positive feelings about interest in and enjoyment of mathematics performed lower than students who reported less interest in and enjoyment of mathematics on the mathematical literacy scale. On the other hand, Interest in and Enjoyment of Mathematics seemingly had a small but positive effect on Mathematical Literacy measures through the Disciplinary Climate in Mathematics Lessons latent variable. Conclusion: In the present study, a total variance of 42% suggests that the mathematical literacy measure can be used to indicate the importance of affective variables in explaining the academic performance of students. Turkish students have positive attitudes towards mathematics with less confidence and higher anxiety levels when compared to students from other participating countries. Somehow, their positive attitude was not connected with a better academic performance in the educational system. Evidence suggests that the classroom climate is negatively influenced by the high anxiety and low confidence levels of the students. This might also cause classroom management problems for teachers dealing with students with differing academic performance levels and backgrounds in mathematics.