A study on the performance, learning strategies and attitudes of fifth graders in Mathematics in terms of whole learning

The purpose of the research is to assert the effects of mastery learning model on mathematics attainment, attitudes towards the course and learning strategies of primary education fifth grade students. A pre-test and post-test model with control group was used. This research was carried out within a primary school in Karşıyaka, İzmir with fifth grade students taking mathematics in the second term of 2010-2011 academic year. There were 36 students in the experimental group and 34 students in the control group. An attitude scale, learning strategies scale and an attainment test on mathematics course in the form of a pre-test, a post-test developed by the researcher-were implemented to the experimental and the control group. The experimental group was given lessons with mastery learning activities whereas the control group was instructed in traditional methods. Two-way variance in repeated measures was used in assessing data of learner's mathematics course attainment, learning strategies and attitudes towards the course. SPSS 13 statistical software was run to analyze the received data. Results obtained by the analysis of attainment test data demonstrated a significant difference between attainment test scores of the experimental group, between pre-test and post-test. Conversely, there was no significant difference between the pre-test and post-test of the control group. Results obtained by the analysis of attitude scale data demonstrated a significant difference between attitude scale scores of the experimental group, between pre-test and post-test. Conversely, there was no significant difference between the pre-test and post-test of the control group. Results obtained by the analysis of learning strategies scale data demonstrated a significant difference between learning strategies scale scores of the experimental group, between pre-test and post-test. Conversely, there was no significant difference between the pre-test and post-test of the control group.