An evaulation on adequacy of sixth year elementary school mathematics curriculum

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine adequacy of new 6th Years Elementary Mathematics Curriculum which was introduced in 2006. The determination consisted of attainability of objectives with suitability of patterns to structure of mathematics in the objectives. Experimental design was used in the study. The study carried out from a total of 120 students as experiment (60) and control (60) group. Specially constructed mathematics lessons plans and the selected methods have been applied to the experiment group while the control group does their ordinary works in mathematics. As a result; students’ achievement both in mean success and achievement level in experiment group are higher than the control group. Both groups’ overall successes (0.56 and 0.36) were not satisfactory (≤0.75). Thus, it can be said that both groups were not able to attain aimed targets with unconvinced teaching and learning process.

Extended Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine adequacy of new 6^th Years Elementary Mathematics Curriculum which was introduced in 2006. The determination consisted of attainability of objectives with suitability of patterns to structure of mathematics in the objectives. This research has been done with sixth year elementary students from two different schools in similar socio-economic parts of Konya in the first semester of 2006-2007 academic years. Experimental design was used in the study. The study carried out from a total of 120 students as experiment (60) and control (60) group.

The study based on the new Elementary Mathematics Curriculum (6-8 years) which is put into action by Ministry of National Education (MEB) in 2006. Specially constructed mathematics lessons plans (developed by the researcher) and the selected methods have been applied to the experiment group while the control group does their ordinary works in mathematics. Study had been continued for the first semester of 2006-2007 academic years. All courses of experiment group were executed by the researcher and courses of control group were executed by the teacher of them. Students in experiment and control groups haven't been allowed to communicate each other by the study to avoid knowledge dealing.

Data has been collected using specially developed mathematics tests at the end of the academic semester for both of the groups simultaneously. Mathematics tests have 32 multiple choice questions. Developing process of the test started with construction of suitable items. A pilot version was constructed using the most suitable 75 multiple choice questions. In this version, minimum 2 or 3 questions for each of 32 objectives (appendix 3) have been included to test the adequacy of the elementary mathematics curriculum. The pilot version has been applied to 112 6^th year students who are from another elementary school in Konya. Items that answered correctly by students were scored by 1 point, and items answered incorrectly, empty or multiple by students were scored by 0 point. Pilot data has been formed by using these points. Item analyses have been conducted on the pilot data. By the item analyses, 32 of 75 questions (one for each of objectives) were selected to use in the Mathematics test. In item selection process, discriminating powers and item difficulties were used. KR-20 reliability of test has been estimated as 0.88.

Findings were used to determine attainability of objectives and suitability of the pattern in objectives in the elementary mathematics curriculum to structure of mathematics. Findings were also used to compare the experiment and control groups' results. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation and percentage) were used to determine attainability of objectives. In addition, one-sample t-test and percentage of right answers were used to determine differences of percentages from acceptable level of learning; 0.75 (Bloom 1998). Independent samples t-test and variation coefficients were used to compare groups. Tetrachoric correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationships of objectives in elementary mathematics curriculum. A new pattern in objectives which is different from the established one before the study was determined by using tetrachoric correlation coefficients.

The research has the following main results: First of all, students' achievement both in mean success and achievement level in experiment group are higher than the control group. On the other hand, both groups' overall successes (0.56 and 0.36 respectively) were not satisfactory (≤0.75). Thus, it can be said that both groups were not able to attain aimed targets with unconvinced teaching and learning process. Differences between experiment and control groups' variation coefficients are higher in favor of control group. This shows variation of control group is higher than the experiment group. Thus, instruction in experiment group students revealed more homogeneous situation. Secondly, it is also determined that only 2 of 32 objectives have been adequately acquired by 75 percent of the experiment group students. The other objectives were unachieved by the experiment group. None of objectives were achieved by the control group. Thirdly, suitability of the pattern in objectives is varied. Established pattern before the study and determined pattern after the study have been found relatively different. This difference has been found using tetrachoric correlation coefficients. In the last pattern that was set up using tetrachoric correlation coefficients revealed a new structure. This new structure mainly has the following changes. For example, some of the established relationships between objectives before the study were disappeared, and after the analyses some of new relationships have been appeared which were not established before and also order of objectives have been changed. This finding indicates that the adequacy of curriculum is mainly insufficient.