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This study was conducted to examine whether newly enrolled 9th grade students were ready to directly engage in the theoretical discursive process from the perspective of Duval's Cognitive Model. The sample of the study was comprised of 51 newly enrolled 9th grade students between the ages of 14 and 15, who had not received any prior geometry instruction. These 51 students were posed two open-ended questions that would enable them to make a transition between perceptual and discursive apprehension. According to the findings obtained from the study, many of the students could not display the necessary behaviors for theoretical discursive process. Students were mostly unsuccessful in converting discursive information into perceptual information, in writing discursive information based on perceptual information, and making inferences based on discursive information. These findings indicate that recent graduates of secondary school are not ready enough to directly engage in theoretical discursive process and, thus, they could experience difficulties in such high order skills as providing proof requiring the theoretical discursive process.

Proof is foundational to mathematics, and constructing proofs and establishing their validity are both important mathematical studies. Determining the validity of a proof is a part of the process of proof evaluation. Proof evaluation contributes to students' ability to construct and revise their own proofs. The purpose of this study was to determine the criteria pre-service mathematics teachers take into account in evaluating a proof. The study was carried out with 50 first-year university students enrolled in an elementary mathematics teacher education program. The data were collected through activities relating to proving. The results of this study revealed that, when evaluating a proof, the participants regarded use of appropriate definitions, axioms, or theorems in the steps of the proof as the most important criterion with reference to justification, while in terms of mathematical language; they regarded appropriate use of symbolic language as the most important criterion. However, they tended to ignore situations where non-symbolic language was used. To address this issue, it is recommended that mathematics-learning environments include the use of non-symbolic language, as well as symbolic representations, in the definition of mathematical concepts.

The present study aimed to remediate pre-service teachers' misconceptions about sampling distributions and to develop their conceptual understanding through the use of conceptual change texts (CCTs). The participants consisted of 84 pre-service teachers. To determine the pre-service teachers' conceptual understanding of sampling distributions, an achievement test was utilized. Five conceptual change texts were prepared. In this study, the number of correct responses of pre-service teachers increased from pretest to post-test and delayed test. This increase was statistically significant in favor of the post-test and delayed test. The results demonstrated that, due to the knowledge gained from the CCTs, the pre-service teachers improved their conceptual understanding about sampling distributions. Moreover, this study represents an important effort to integrate CCTs in mathematics and statistics education.

Researchers from many countries have pointed out the difficulty of transitioning from high school to university settings, especially within the context of mathematics courses. With its abstract content, deductive thinking structure, and unique language, university mathematics is quite different from high school mathematics for students encountering such courses at the undergraduate level for the first time; often, they may perceive themselves as though they are in a different world. The two main actors playing a role in students' transition from high school to university mathematics are the students themselves and the faculty members who are attempting to guide them through the process. This study aims to reveal the difficulties experienced by 17 to 19-year-old first-year students in the undergraduate departments of mathematics education and mathematics from the perspectives of students and faculty members. Within the scope of the study, the mathematics courses offered in the first year of a Faculty of Education program and a Faculty of Science program in Turkey were observed for one semester. Interviews were then conducted with volunteer students, as well as faculty members who were instructing the courses. We present the cognitive, epistemological, sociocultural, didactic, and affective aspects of the difficulties experienced by first-year students, as well as the reasons underlying these difficulties.

Although numerous studies have investigated how technology affects academic achievement, very few have focused on the purpose of the use of technology in mathematics education. This current study examines how student teachers (STs) benefit from GeoGebra as one of the Dynamic Geometry Software (DGS) while solving continuity problems. In order to have deeper insights and a better understanding of the intended purposes, a case study research design was adopted for this study. Participants in the study were seven mathematics STs. Six open-ended problems were used to collect data. Three themes were found to be relevant for understanding how STs use DGS in a problem solving process: visualize, verify, and calculate. The paper also shows the potential misconceptions of the STs.

This study aims to offer a detailed foresight on organizational justice concept and define organizational justice from the perspective of women, female lecturers specifically, to unveil the views on the concept of organizational justice. The research was patterned after one of the qualitative research models namely phenomenologic method. Research population comprised of 10 volunteering female lecturers currently teaching in 2 state universities. In data analysis, descriptive analysis technique was employed. Findings of the research pinpointed that female lecturers defined organizational justice as securing interpersonal equality and added that in the absence of organizational justice this failure would render a negative effect on their personal happiness, job satisfaction, motivation and performance. Moreover they claimed that there was prevailing gender discrimination in organizations. For suggestions the next studies can be conducted to raise the awareness of all employees of the organization on organizational justice. This study, carried out for participants from different universities, can be developed and applied to measure the perception of organizational justice in a single organization. In order to end the genderist perspective and bring women to the position where they should be important, women employees may be able to realize their power.

The purpose of this study is to identify and assess the difficulties experienced by the 11th grade students regarding generating, interpreting and comparing scatter plots. The study was carried out with 40 students-enrolled in 11th grade. The difficulties of students were identified through an achievement test on generating, interpreting, and comparing aspects. In the light of the test, the students identified as having difficulty were interviewed. It was found that the students experienced a range of difficulties related to generating, interpreting, and comparing aspects, and cannot be considered knowledgeable about scatter plots. Arguably, these difficulties can help explain the students' failures regarding scatter plots in the literature and provide a basis for the efforts to cope with these difficulties. In order to enhance the students' understanding of the concept, examples covering various aspects of the plots should be employed in instructional settings.

Proving is a process that has important roles in terms of learning and teaching in almost all the areas of mathematics. Because the process of proof constructions an extensive process that includes skills as mathematical thinking, reasoning and making connections. Reasoning is one of the most important components of this process. However, most students have difficulty in making a good reasoning and they make various reasoning errors in the process. The purpose of the study is to investigate the reasoning errors that pre-service mathematics teachers exhibit during proof construction. This study was carried out with 80 university students from second, third, fourth and fifth grade levels. An open-ended exam based on abstract mathematics and algebra was used. To deeply examine reasoning errors in the proving process, clinical interviews were conducted with pre-service teachers. A scale was developed by considering the literature review and the expert opinion; this was used to analyse the data about the reasoning errors. The results illustrate that the reasoning errors mostly do not show differences for all grade levels. However, the percentages of reasoning errors according to the grade levels and to the upper classes these errors show resistance to decrease the deficiencies. It is important to design a learning environment enabling students to experience proof construction in order to reduce or eliminate the reasoning errors.

Copyright of Route Educational & Social Science Journal (Ress Journal) is the property of Ress Academy Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Conhecimento & Diversidade is the property of Conhecimento & Diversidade and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examines the effect of project based learning on 8th grade students' statistical literacy levels. A performance test was developed for this aim. Quasi-experimental research model was used in this article. In this context, the statistics were taught with traditional method in the control group and it was taught using project based learning in the intervention group. Statistics was given for four weeks according to project based learning at intervention group. The performance test was applied to total 70 students as pre and post-test. Participants are from two different classes of a middle school in Trabzon. The data were analysed using Rasch (1980) measurement techniques. This measurement allowed both students' performance and item difficulties to be measured using the same metric and placed on the same scale. All raw scores converted linear score in order to obtain equal interval scale. Acquired linear scores were compared. In the analysis of gained datum covariance analysis are used. According to gained results in pre-processing application there isn't substantial difference between the achievements of intervention group and control group; but after processing between the achievements of intervention group and control group there is a substantial difference statistically in favor of intervention group. The results of the study revealed that the project based learning increased students' statistical literacy levels in the intervention group.

This study investigates the effect of the project based learning approach on 8th grade students' attitude towards statistics. With this aim, an attitude scale towards statistics was developed. Quasi-experimental research model was used in this study. Following this model in the control group the traditional method was applied to teach statistics where as in the intervention group project based learning approach was followed. The attitude scale towards statistics was applied as pre-test and post-tests to 70 students studying at two different 8th grade classes of a middle school in Trabzon during the 2011-2012 Academic Year. The results of the study revealed that the project based learning increased students' attitude towards statistics in the intervention group. Therefore, the use of project based learning approach during statistics course in mathematics classes is recommended.

In this study, the effect of Cabri 2D software on drawings of height, perpendicular bisector in triangles and diagonal in polygons was explored. Case study method was used in the study. Diagnostic questions and computer assisted worksheets related to height, perpendicular bisector and diagonal concepts were developed as data collecting tools. Diagnostic questions were posed as pre-and post-implementations to total 25 students studying at 8th grade of an elementary school in Trabzon. Students' answers to questions were analyzed and presented in tables. As a result of the study, Cabri 2D software was found to positively contribute to students' better understanding of height, perpendicular bisector and diagonal concepts. Therefore, it's recommended to develop and use in the classes Cabri 2D assisted worksheets also for other subjects of geometry. [Paper presented at the World Conference on Educational Sciences (WCES) 2010.]

This study investigates the effect of materials developed based on conceptual change approach on 9th grade students'achievement in the subject of fractions. With this aim, a worksheet, conceptual change text and a two-stage performance test on the subject of fractions were developed. Quasi-experimental research model was used in the study. Following this model, the fractions were taught with traditional method in the control group and it was taught using worksheets and conceptual change texts in the experimental group. The performance test was applied as pre- and post-tests to total 46 students studying at two different 9th grade classes of a high school in Trabzon during 2008-2009 school year. The results of the study revealed that the instructional materials increased students' success in the experimental group. Therefore, it's recommended to use the materials developed during the course in mathematics classes and to develop similar materials for other subject matters. [Paper presented at the World Conference on Educational Sciences (WCES) 2010.]

Geometry is the study of shape and space. Without spatial ability, students cannot fully appreciate the natural world. Spatial ability is also very important for work in various fields such as computer graphics, engineering, architecture, and cartography. A number of studies have demonstrated that technology has an important potential to develop spatial skills. In the present study, the effect of dynamic geometry software (DGS) Cabri 3D on student mathematics teachers' spatial skills was examined. The study used a one-group pretest-intervention-posttest experimental design. In this context, 40 student mathematics teachers took "Purdue Spatial Visualization" (PSV) test as pretest at the beginning of the study, and then some implementations were carried out with these students by using Cabri 3D software for 8 weeks. The PSV test was retaken by students at the end of the study. That if there was a meaningful difference between the pretest and posttest results was examined by using paired sample t test. The findings demonstrated that these computer supported activities contributed to development student mathematics teachers' spatial skills.

In the process of education, instead of classifying students according to their insufficiency, teachers should try to get to know them and determine their cognitive, sensorial, and kinetic characteristics. This study on improving learning style inventory, which aims to help classroom teachers determine students' attributes in individualized educational activities in elementary schools, the first step in obligatory education, originated from the need mentioned. The study involved four stages: determining the questions for the style inventory, preparing the trial inventory, applying the inventory, and determining validity and reliability. In the scope of the study of the reliability and validity, place was determined as fifth class students who studied in the centre of the city of Çanakkale. The study sample were fifth class students who numbered the same as the number of the result when we multiply the question number in the inventory by the step number in the degree scale. All the data obtained at the end of the analysis were analyzed using SPSS. As a result of the analysis, 8 factors were determined. The 27-question inventory was formed from the limitations of which the factor burdens were determined. A bibliography is included.

Copyright of Route Educational & Social Science Journal (Ress Journal) is the property of Ress Academy Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Mediterranean Educational Research Journal / Akdeniz Eğitim Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of Turkish Educational Research Association (TERA) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Along with the impact of the 21st century skills that the new world projection focuses on, the definition of the qualified individual and the view of him/her has started to differentiate. In this context, it is important to identify which skills are considered more significant by new generations and which skills are needed. The aim of this study is to determine the opinions of classroom teachers about the adequacy of the Social Studies Curriculum in terms of gaining 21st century skills. In accordance with the purpose of the research, case study method, one of the qualitative research methods, was used and the data were collected with a semi-structured focus group interview form prepared by the researchers. In the research, it was concluded that information, communication and media skills, critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the frameworks were stated as the most important skills in the program, while responsibility, entrepreneurship and productivity skills classified as life skills were not recognized by the participants. In addition, it was concluded that the Social Studies Curriculum was not found to be sufficient by classroom teachers in terms of providing 21st century skills and that the curriculum should be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dicle University Journal of Ziya Gokalp Education Faculty / Dicle Üniversitesi Ziya Gökalp Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Dicle University Journal of Ziya Gokalp Education Faculty and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The point of this study is to define the effect of project-based learning approach on 8th Grade secondary-school students' statistical literacy levels for data representation. To achieve this goal, a test which consists of 12 open-ended questions in accordance with the views of experts was developed. Seventy 8th grade secondary-school students, 35 in the experimental group and 35 in the control group, took this test twice, one before the application and one after the application. All the raw scores were turned into linear points by using the Winsteps 3.72 modelling program that makes the Rasch analysis and t-tests, and an ANCOVA analysis was carried out with the linear points. Depending on the findings, it was concluded that the project-based learning approach increases students' level of statistical literacy for data representation. Students' levels of statistical literacy before and after the application were shown through the obtained person-item maps.