An Empirical Investigation of Mathematics Learning Approaches and Metacognitive Awareness of Students

Abstract

The goal of this study is to examine the mathematics learning approaches and metacognitive awareness of 6th, 7th and 8th grade students with regard to some variables. This is a quantitative study conducted in a survey model. In the 2018-2019 academic year, the working group was secondary school students in the public schools in Central Anatolia region 6.7.8. It consists of 330 (166 girls, 164 boys) students studying at the grade level. As the data collection tools, Göktepe-Yıldız and Özdemir’s (2018) “Mathematics Learning Approach Scale”, which was originally developed by Schraw and Dennison (1994); The Metacognitional Awareness Inventory developed by Akın, Abacı and Çetin (2007) was utilized. According to the empirical findings, for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students, scores for deep and strategic learning approaches are above the medium level, whereas scores for surface approach is below the medium level. In addition, it has been determined that mathematics learning approaches differ significantly according to gender, grade level and mathematics achievement. As a consequence of the analysis, it was seen that students' levels of metacognitive awareness were high. The levels of metacognitive awareness did not differ by gender, but differed significantly by grade level and mathematics achievement. In addition, while there exists a positive and statistically significant relationship between deep learning and strategic learning approaches and metacognitive awareness no statistically significant relationship was found between the surface learning approach and the metacognitive awareness.