AN INVESTIGATION OF MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHERS' VIEWS ABOUT FERMI PROBLEMS AND THEIR PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGIES IN FERMI PROBLEMS

Date

2023-11-27

Author

Dede Gülgör, Esra

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The purpose of this study is to investigate the views of middle school mathematics teachers regarding Fermi problems and their problem-solving strategies in Fermi problems. Data were collected online from twenty middle school mathematics teachers. The interviews conducted one-on-one were recorded with the permission of the teachers. A session was conducted by each teacher where they examined an example Fermi problem together with the researcher, and then solved the three main Fermi problems. Responses to these problems were matched and analyzed based on literature descriptions of problem-solving strategies. The strategies used were shown with a frequency table, and comparisons were made between the problems. Additionally, general mathematical expressions used by the teachers were created by the researcher. The findings revealed that, upon initial exposure to Fermi problems, middle school mathematics teachers often lacked familiarity with the term in the literature, and a significant portion faced challenges in estimation. According to the results of the study, the reasons why teachers wanted or did not want to use Fermi problems in their classrooms varied. Furthermore, similarities and differences between this study and the earlier studies featuring Fermi problems were mentioned. In summary, this research highlights the nuanced perspectives of middle school mathematics teachers on Fermi problems, showcasing variations in their views and the strategies employed according to the nature of Fermi problems. Hence, this study suggests that curriculum developers and teacher educators may pay more attention to Fermi problems so that teachers can be competent in this field.

Subject Keywords

Fermi Problems, Problem-Solving, Problem-Solving Strategies

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/107750

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis