The effect of teaching mathematics with visualization approach on students' cognitive and affective development

The purpose of the study is to determine the effect of visualization approach on the students? cognitive and affective developments. It is an experimental research based on an experimental pre-test post-test model. The experimental and control groups consist of the 8th grade students of a public and a private secondary school in Izmir during the 2010-2011 academic year.In the research abstract thinking skills and academic achievements were examined as cognitive characteristics while attitude towards, achievement motivation and learned helplessness in mathematics were examined as affective characteristics.Visual content, qualified course materials including a section on computer which prepared with the approval of experts? opinions were used. For the computer based visual materials, Flash CS5, Swish Max, iSpring ve Power Point programs were used.The data were collected using the ´´Mathematics Attitudes Scale´´ which was prepared by Nazlıçiçek ve Erktin (2002), ?Achievement Motivation Scale? which was prepared by Umay (2002) and ?Learned Helplessness in mathematics Scale? which is developed by the researchers. Cognitive characteristics were measured by ´´Algebraic Expressions and Equations Achievement Test´´ and ?Abstract Thought in Mathematics Test? which are developed by the researchers.The results of the public school showed that visualization approach affects the students´ attitudes towards mathematics, achievement motivation, learned helplessness, abstract thinking skills and achievements in mathematics lessons positively. In the results of Private school, it is found that visualization approach effects students´ abstract thinking skills and achievements in mathematics positively while it has no effect on students? learned helplessness, achievement motivation and attitudes towards mathematics.In addition, correlation was found between attitudes towards mathematics, achievement motivation, academic achievement and abstract thinking variables with each other positively, and with learned helplessness with a negative direction.Key words: Visualization Approach, Attitudes towards Mathematics, Achievement Motivation, Learned Helplessness in mathematics, Abstract Thought.