The effect of secondary school students' metacognition and self-regulation skills on mathematical confidence

This research has two main purposes: (i) to investigate the effect of some variables on the mathematical confidence of secondary school students, (ii) to examine the relationship between secondary school students' mathematical confidence and their metacognition and self-regulation skills. In this study, relational survey design, one of the quantitative research methods, was used. The sample of the research consists of 932 secondary school students studying at the secondary school level in a province in the east of Turkey. The research was conducted in the first semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. The data of the study were obtained with the mathematical confidence scale, self-regulation skills scale and metacognition scale. Additionally, the form presented to students includes questions regarding demographic characteristics. The data obtained were made using descriptive statistical methods (frequency, percentage calculation, mean, standard deviation) and predictive statistics method (independent sample t test, ANOVA and correlation calculation) with the SPPS program. Parametric tests were applied to normally distributed data. Independent T-test, ANOVA and correlation assumptions were checked and the application of these tests was found appropriate. The results were evaluated at the p=.05 significance level. As a result of the research, when the Pearson correlation coefficient was examined, it was revealed that mathematical confidence had a high positive relationship with metacognition and self-regulation. When other variables were examined, no relationship was found between mathematical confidence and gender. The relationship between grade level and mathematical confidence was found to be significant using the Welch test. However, Tamhane's T2 multiple comparison test was conducted to make comparisons between grade levels, and as a result, it was determined that mathematical confidence decreased from the 5th grade to the 8th grade. Finally, by looking at the Pearson correlation coefficient, the relationship between mathematical confidence and mathematics grade revealed a positive, medium-level relationship.