Abstract
AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine fifth graders’ mathematical reasoning and spatial ability, to identify a correlation with their learning styles, and to determine the predictive power of their learning styles on their mathematical learning profiles. This causal study was conducted with 97 fifth graders (60 females, 61.9% and 37 males, 38.1%). The data were collected using three instruments: the Test on Learning Styles, the Mathematical Reasoning Test, and the Spatial Ability Test. Considering the combined view of the data on a plane, correlation and regression analyses were performed to identify correlations and prediction. The results showed that the students’ spatial ability was better than their mathematical reasoning ability. Their scores for visual, auditory, kinesthetic, reading, and combined learning accounted for 17% of the total variance in mathematical reasoning, whereas their scores accounted for 20% of the total variance in spatial ability. Of the learning styles, only visual l...
Highlights
It is feared, disliked, and lamented by most students, mathematics is an indispensable part of our daily lives
The first section provided a combined view of mathematical learning profiles and learning styles on a plane
The final section presented the predictive power of learning styles on mathematical learning profiles
Summary
It is feared, disliked, and lamented by most students, mathematics is an indispensable part of our daily lives. Wherever we go and whatever job we do, mathematics, somehow, has been there, influencing our thinking processes (Alkan, 2010; Putnam, 1992). According to students’ scores on national and international tests, curricular revisions have been made both in Turkey and around the world, which are mostly reflected in mathematics curricula. Reasoning is a skill that must be taught as part of the mathematics curriculum, in addition to other skills such as questioning, critical thinking, justification, and problem-solving (Ministry of National Education [MoNE], 2013). The objective is to enable students to use procedural skills, and to learn mental skills with an effective use of mathematics. It would be more appropriate to consider mathematics instruction to be an instrument for promoting mathematical thinking and reasoning rather than teaching formulas and proofs (Norfolk, 2006)
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