Abstract
In this study, it was aimed both to examine middle school students' perceptions of the concept of pattern and to reveal if the metaphoric perceptions which the students created in relation to the concept of pattern changed according to the variable of grade level. The metaphors in relation to the concept were carried out via the "phenomenological" design. For this, a short open ended form was directed to the volunteer fifth, sixth, and seventh-grade students who attended to the research from a middle school in Turkey. The qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. Besides, the chi-square test was used for quantitative analysis. The perceptions of middle school students were gathered under six different categories. Moreover, the analyses made within the scope of this study revealed that the metaphors which the participant students created for the concept of pattern did not indicate significant difference according to the grade levels.
Highlights
Mathematics is in the lead of the branches of science which never lose their value and have a gradually increasing value
Under which conceptual categories can the metaphors which the fifth, sixth and seventh grade students have in relation to the concept of pattern be gathered in terms of common characteristics?
The first sub problem of this study was stated as "What are the metaphors which the fifth-grade students have in relation to the concept of pattern?" Related to this research problem, a total of 38 metaphors created by 47 fifth grade students were given in Table 2 with their frequency and percentage values
Summary
Mathematics is in the lead of the branches of science which never lose their value and have a gradually increasing value. Mathematics, which we use intensively in our daily life as well as in science, takes the first place in countries' curriculum (Polat, 2010). With an effective mathematics education, in our country and the world, it is aimed to raise individuals keeping up with the developing technology and science, being able to think analytically, taking matters critically and adopting solution-oriented thinking. Especially in Turkey, mathematics is regarded by most individuals in compulsory basic education as a disliked and fearsome subject. Liking, understanding and learning mathematics is possible through getting acquainted with its structure. The mathematical structure is understood through the examination of patterns in mathematics and revealing the mathematical relationships (Hargreaves, Shorrocks-Taylor & Threlfall, 1999)
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