Investigation of the learning process based on mathematical modeling activities in the context of area measurement

In this research, it is aimed to investigate students' knowledge of area concept and their area measurement skills by using mathematical modeling activities that were prepared specifically to focus the subject of area measurement and to determine students' modeling skills during implementing those activities. This study was designed as a case study and conducted with six 7th grade students who had inadequate knowledge of area and measurement. Eight mathematical modeling activities were implemented during the study and students' engagement in those activities were examined through individual interviews, video and audio recordings, artifacts on their solutions, researcher notes, and other written documents. The data were analyzed in two main stages based on qualitative research methods. The first stage involved coding the data by using grounding theory coding strategies to develop a rubric, and the second stage constituted re-coding the data based on the developed rubric. The results showed that the mathematical modeling activities not only significantly support students' conceptual understanding, but also contribute to their modeling skills. These improvements were mainly based on the nature of mathematical modeling activities that support students' individual discovery, peer-collaboration, and peer/or teacher guidance. The students developed important skills during the engagement in the mathematical modeling activities such as the ability to recognize related concepts, to explain the mathematical relation between the concepts, and to associate the area concepts with unit squares. The results of this study conclude that the importance of mathematical modeling activities in the curricula is crucial for implementing those kinds of activities in classroom practices.Key Words: Mathematical modeling; Mathematical modeling activity; Teaching mathematics; Area; Area measurement.