Analyzing sixth-grade students’ metacognition skills in process of solving fraction problems

Abstract

This study analyzes the metacognitive skills of sixth-grade students while solving fraction problems. Students have learned fractions starting from the first-grade mathematics curriculum up to sixth-grade and they complete all objectives related to fractions at the sixth-grade. The sample of the study consists of 9 sixth-grade students in the randomly selected schools. They were selected randomly from a sample of 312 female and 305 male students from 6 different middle schools. These 9 students’ mathematics achievements were higher than the mathematics achievement of their classes. Metacognition Scale and mathematics teachers’ opinions were used to determine metacognition levels of the selected students. Problem-solving test with five fraction problems was administered. Students’ metacognitive skills were analyzed while solving these fraction problems. The results of the study confirmed that sixth-grade students used metacognitive skills while solving fraction problems. Students used prediction, monitoring, planning and evaluation phases of metacognition during problem-solving. The most frequently used metacognitive skills were monitoring, guessing, planning respectively. Students who used metacognitive skills effectively were successful in the problem-solving process. Successful students used monitoring, planning and guessing most frequently, but the relationship between evaluation and problem solving was not confirmed.