A study on the impact of a visualization-based teaching method on mathematical problem solving performance of eighth grade students

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a visualization-based teaching method on the 8th grade students’ attitudes towards mathematics and their problem solving performance, in particular problems related to generating figural patterns in algebra. In the first place, a theoretical framework was designed for teaching and learning with and without emphasis on the visualization, based on findings of research and fieldwork. The sample consisted of a school and two classes that were selected through random sampling method. Each of the classes contained 30 students and they were considered as the experimental and control groups. Teaching and learning with and without emphasis on visualization, have been considered as independent variables. Students’ problem solving performance and their attitudes have been considered as dependent variables. Both experimental and control groups wereexposed to independent variables for 15 weeks (two 90-minute-sessions perweek). Three hypotheses have been tested in this study. The homogeneity of students’ performance in problem solving in pretests was shown by Kolmogorov- Smirnov test. Analysis of the results showed that teaching with a focus on visualization has a significant impact on the students’ attitude towards mathematics. However, just relying on the visualization in mathematical problem solving -especially in the non-geometric patterns such as generating figural pattern - does not have significant effect on problem solving performance. On the other hand, those students who were taught with a focus on visualization, could better understand the relation among the components of the general terms of sequences.