Assessing Mathematical Thinking Levels Of Year Six Students Using Performance Tasks
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Date
2010
Authors
Abdullah, Nurulhidayah Lucy
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
This study aims at assessing and identifying Year Six students’ mathematical thinking level using constructed response tasks. This study further explores students’ mathematical thinking levels in relation to the four mathematical thinking domains of conceptual understanding, mathematical representations, procedural fluency and mathematical explanation. It will also provide information whether the domains are associated and whether the different tasks used affect students’ levels of performance. The profiles of mathematical involving the four mathematical thinking domains were identified for low and high achievers.
A total of 155 Year Six students enrolled in four schools participated in this study. Students’ responses were examined to identify mathematical thinking levels and diagnose areas of deficiency. Students’ responses for each task are rated independently using seven specific scoring rubrics with four score levels. Students’ written works, interviews and reflective sheets were the main tools used for data collection. Inter-raters reliability was computed to determine the consistency of judgment between raters.
Overall analysis shows that highest percentages of students are assigned to ‘Level 1’ (not related) for all domains: conceptual understanding, mathematical representation, procedural fluency and mathematical explanation. Percentages of students assigned to lower levels were almost equal for conceptual understanding, mathematical representation, and procedural fluency except mathematical explanation which was relatively higher. Finding also reveals that even students assigned to ‘Level 4’ (proficient) for conceptual understanding exhibited lower performance in mathematical explanation of the same level. Therefore students’ main deficiency was in the mathematical explanation domain. The same finding was obtained among the low and high achievers. Overall students’ performances also show statistically significant positive relationships between all mathematical thinking domains.
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Keywords
Year Six students’ mathematical thinking level , using constructed response tasks