Date

2008

Author

Işık, Ebru

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The aim of the study was to investigate how well the geometry achievement is explained by field dependency/ independency cognitive styles, spatial orientation, spatial visualization and attitude toward geometry. The sample of the study was composed of 378 ninth grade students (183 male and 195 female) from five different lycees in Eskişehir. The types of schools participating in the study were General High School, Anatolian High School, Commercial Vocational High, and Anatolian Fine Art High School. The data were collected by using four instruments, which were Group Embedded Figure Test ( GEFT ) , Spatial Ability Tests, Geometry Achievement Test (GAT) and Geometry Attitude Scale (GAS). GEFT developed by Witkin, Oltman, Raskin and Karp ( 1971 ) was used to determine students’ cognitive styles. Another test, The Spatial Ability Test developed by Ekstrom and colleagues (1976) was composed of four sub-tests. Two of them were aimed to measure spatial orientation, which were Cube Comparison and Card Rotation test. The others were developed to measure spatial visualization, which were Paper Folding and Surface Development tests. The Turkish version of the tests translated by Delialioğlu (1996) used in the study. In order to measure geometry achievement, GAT was developed by researcher. GAS developed by Bulut, İşeri, Ekici and Helvacı (2002) was used to measure the dimension of like/dislike geometry, usefulness of geometry and anxiety about geometry. The data conducted from the research sample through the tests and scale was analyzed by using regression analysis. The multiple regression analysis indicated that students’ cognitive styles were the most significant variable in explaining their geometry achievements. The other predictive variables also made statistically significant contribution in explaining the variance in geometry achievement. Four predictive variables of the study were entered the regression model, and explained the % 47 of the variance in geometry achievement. The findings of the study suggested that students’ field dependency/ independency cognitive style had high importance in learning geometry; and it should have taken into the consideration in teaching geometry.

Subject Keywords

Mathematics education., Education.

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/2/12610240/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/18368

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis