The Investigation of Geometric Thinking Levels of Fifth Year Students Who Started to Primary School at Different Ages

Abstract

In the 2012 2013 academic year, the age of starting elementary school was implemented as sixty months in the compulsory education system that lasts twelve years, and the students who started primary school at this age started middle school in the 2016 2017 academic year. Thus, many students in different age ranges had to be in the same classroom environment. The aim of this study is to reveal the mathematics achievement status of primary school students in 4 + 4 + 4 education system and the status of Van Hiele Geometry Thinking Levels under the age variable. Survey model was used as a research model. Participants of the study are 374 fifth grade students from a developed province of Central Black Sea Region, determined by simple sampling method definition depends on maximum diversity sample. Participants were divided into two groups: those who are under 72 months and those who are 72 months and over, considering the age of starting primary school. Van Hiele geometry test and mathematics achievement test were used to collect the data. Independent samples t test and correlation tests were used in the analysis of the data collected. It was determined that there was a moderate, positive and significant relationship between the Van Hiele Geometry Levels and the math achievement scores of the students participating in the study, and the age of the students affected the relationship between the Van Hiele Geometry Levels and the math achievement scores. In the study, it was also determined that the average scores of Van Hiele Geometry Thinking Test and mathematics achievement test scores of older age students were significantly higher than the young age group.

Keywords: 4 + 4 + 4 education system, Van Hiele geometry thinking Levels, mathematics achievement, 5th grade, age

DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/6-09-06