Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to determine the ways of learning styles in learning mathematics in secondary schools and relations between these styles and students' characteristics. This study indicated that to determine differences among learning styles in learning mathematics point of view students' characteristics like sex, grade, mathematics success, preschool education and parents' education levels. The sample of the study consists of 238 students in secondary schools in Mihalıççık in Eskişehir. Data was collected by Forster's “How do I actually learn?” questionnaire with demographical information form. Frequency tables, t-test and analysis of variance were employed to analyze data. The results of the study indicated that, there were differences in learning styles in learning mathematics points of view sex, grade and mathematics success. Finally suggestions were included for learning and teaching mathematics in secondary schools. Summary Learning can be defined as the difference on people behaviors by their own way of living. Learning is an art and kind of improvement. There are some varieties happen slowly and continually from the beginning of the life in this improvement. Learning is a process at the end of way of living. The main point of learning process is changing in behaviors. Changing in behaviors can become a reality by several ways. The most important factors in changing in behaviors are students' learning strategies, teachers' teaching techniques and harmony degree between both of them (Demirel, 2003). Students have different learning styles, characteristic, strengths, and preferences in the ways they take in and process information. Some students tend to focus on facts, data, and algorithms; others are more comfortable with theories and mathematical models. Some respond strongly to visual forms of information, like pictures, diagrams, and schematics; others get more from verbal forms written and spoken explanations. Some prefer to learn actively and interactively; others function more introspectively and individually (Felder, 1996). After the 1980's considered students' personal talents in educational activities important and new concepts have been used. One of these concepts is education based on the learning style. This approach appropriates the principle if satisfying the suitable learning environment, all students might learn everything. Many learning style models have been developed about this concept (Ekici, 2003). The purpose of this study was to determine the ways of learning styles in learning mathematics in secondary schools and relations between these styles and students' characteristics. Method The sample of this study was 238 students in secondary schools in Mihalıççık in Eskişehir. The study was conducted in the spring semester of the 2004-2005 school years. Learning styles, which were used by secondary schools students, in learning mathematics were determined by Forster's (1999) “How do I actually learn?” scale. This scale translated into Turkish by the researchers and consists of 22 Likert type items in four learning styles called as explanatory, interrogator, efforter and utilizer learning. Results The results of the study indicated that, there were differences in learning styles in learning mathematics points of view sex, grade and mathematics success. Boys more prefer the utilizer learning style than girls. Explanatory learning style has been most preferred by the 7th grade students. The most preferred style of the 6th grade students was interrogator learning style. Moreover, the 6th grade students more prefer the interrogator learning style than the 8th grade students. There was meaningful difference between low and high mathematics success point of view the explanatory learning style. The higher mathematics success, the more preferred the explanatory learning style. There was no difference among secondary school students' points of view preschool education and parents' education levels. Conclusion The results of the study revealed that the secondary school students had different learning styles in learning mathematics. In this case, the most important duty of mathematics teacher was using several teaching methods to reach all the students have different learning styles in learning mathematics. Affluence of different teaching methods provides a large activity land to the students in secondary schools. On the basis of the results of the study, it may be suggested that the following expressions to mathematics teachers and parents: 1.explaining importance and necessity of mathematics to students, 2.helping to students for improving positive mathematics attitude, 3.considering personal differences in teaching mathematics, 4.helping the students for getting some study habits which provide more effective learning, 5.employing a variety of assessment techniques, focusing on the development of "whole brain" capacity and each of the different learning styles.

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