The effects of discovery - based mathematics education on 8th grade students' reasoning and connecting skills

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the discovery based approach mathematics learning on the students' reasoning and connecting skills. The study was carried out at Osman Hamdibey Secondary School 8th grade, during the spring semester, of 2014-2015 academic education years, with 60 students of two equal level classes. These classes were nominated as the experiment group where the mathematics lesson-the topic unequalities- was taught with the discovery based approach learning; and as the control group where the traditional method is used. In the study the composite method was used. In the study, the mathematical reasoning evaluating scale was applied as pre-testing and post testing. While- the inequalities- was taught with the discovery based approach method to the experiment group, the process was videod and the connection skills were analysed by observing the students' behaviours at the end of the study. As a result of the study, while doing the statical analysing of the achieved datas from mathematical reasoning scale; t-test was used for the dependent sample, t-test was used for the independent sample. It was defined that the discovery based approach learning has contributed to mathematical reasoning skill in a positive way. It has been seen that the students could identify the discovery based approach learning with their daily life, set up a relationship between the topics, and connection mathematics with the other subjects.