Investigation of Symbol Sense Behaviors of 12th Grade Students in the Problem Solving Process

Abstract

With this research, it is aimed to examine the symbol sense behaviors of 12th grade students while solving problems in depth. For this reason, the study was designed according to the case study model, one of the qualitative research designs. The study was conducted with three twelfth grade students in a public school in Gümüşhane. In the selection of these students, the advice of the mathematics teacher was taken into account first, and then, with an algebra test applied, the students were divided into three levels as weak, moderate and good according to their academic achievements in algebra. The data of the study were collected through clinical interviews, which were supported by the literature and conducted on six problems, each of which was prepared to measure different behaviors related to symbol sense. The qualitative data collected as a result of the interviews were analyzed using descriptive analysis technique within the conceptual framework of the research. As a result, while the student with a good level of achievement exhibited the expected symbol sense behaviors in all of the given problems, the students with a medium and weak level of achievement could not display the symbol sense behaviors at the desired level for each problem.