Identifying the primary school 5th grade students' comprehension and graps manners regarding patterns

The aim of this study is to identifying the primary school 5th grade students? comprehension and grasp manners regarding patterns. The qualitative research method was used in the data collection, analysis and interpretation in this study. The study was conducted in Cumhuriyet primary school in Eskisehir city center in 2006-2007 academic years participating twelve students. The data were collected through ?clinical interview techniques?, ?personal information form?, ?student journals? and ?researcher journals?. The collected data were analyzed through classification containing three sections, namely; data reduction, data display, drawing conclusion and verification.Consequently, it was ascertained that defining the unit of repeat in repeated patterns is effective in extending the pattern to the next step, obtaining the numerical relations between the shapes in the unit of repeat and forming a pattern. In addition, it was detected that in number patterns in all activities the term in the pattern is associated with the previous term or the nature of the terms is focused on. However, it was seen that if the number pattern is given in the form of function table, in addition to them, therelation of term and term order are established, it was determined that visual and algebraic approaches were adopted in the shape patterns. It was detected that to form or not to form the desired pattern depends on taking account of the features of patterns in sequence. In all kinds of patterns in activities, the most common expression types were respectively ?verbal?, ?symbol? and ?mathematical sentence?. It was determined that the success levels of the students do not have effects on the activities for patterns on the other hand, the presentation forms of the patterns were effective. It was ascertained that in repeated, lineer and quadratic patterns, the strategies used for the same purpose indicate a common structure, but they differ in terms of the structure of the pattern.