Process of Organizing Learning Activity Using Metaphorical Thinking and Development of Mathematical Representation Ability of Secondary School Students

Abstract

The purposes of this research were 1) to compare the mathematical representation ability of students before and after being taught through organizing mathematics learning activities using metaphorical thinking, 2) to compare the mathematical representation ability of the students after these activities with a criterion of 70% of the full score, and 3) to study the development of the mathematical representation ability of the students during learning activities using metaphorical thinking. The representative sample group were 36 seventh grade students. The data collection instruments included a pre-test and post-test of the students’ mathematical representation ability, a mathematical representation characteristics assessment form, and an interview. The data were analyzed by arithmetic mean, standard deviation, t-test, and content analysis. The results of the research revealed that 1) the mathematical representation ability of the students after being taught through organizing mathematics learning activities using metaphorical thinking was higher than at the pre-learning stage at the .05 level of significance, 2) the mathematical representation ability of the students after engaging in organizing mathematics learning activities using metaphorical thinking was higher than the criterion of 70% of the full score at the .05 level of significance, and 3) the mathematical representation ability of the students learning through organizing mathematics learning activities using metaphorical thinking had been improved in a positive direction.