Abstract:

This study was carried out in order to determine how students’ attitudes towards mathematics changed according to their school and grade levels, and to examine which factors affected students’ attitudes from the views of students and teachers. This study was conducted with 698 primary third to eighth grade students, 367 of whom were male and 331 of whom were female and 6 mathematics teachers studying in those schools. Data of the study were collected by means of two instruments, Mathematics Attitudes Scale (MAS) and semi-structured interview. Obtained data were analyzed both statistically and descriptively. At the end of the study, it was observed that there is a meaningful difference in students’ attitudes towards mathematics according to schools. In addition, it was observed that attitudes of students enrolled to primary schools which consist of 3rd, 4th and 5th grades are meaningfully more positive than the attitudes of students enrolled to secondary schools consisting of 6th, 7th and 8th grades. In spite of this, it was found that there has not occurred a meaningful difference among 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students’ attitudes and 6th, 7th and 8th grade students’ attitudes in the same way. Finally, according to students and teachers factors affecting attitudes towards mathematics are teacher, friend, individual characteristics, family, mathematics issues, achievement and perception of mathematics difficulty and its importance.

Keywords: