An analysis of the effect of mathematics teaching enhanced with intelligence games on the 5th grade students' academic achievement, problem solving self-efficacy perceptions and their cognitive awareness

This study aims at examining the effect of mathematics teaching enhanced with intelligence games on the 5th grade students' academic achievement, problem solving self-efficacy perceptions and their cognitive awareness. The working group of the study consisted of the 5th grade students learning in a private school located in Karaköprü district of Şanlıurfa. The study employed purposive sampling method. In this regard, a randomly selected class from the two equivalent among all the 5th grade classes was determined as the experimental group and the other as the control group. The data was obtained from a total of 36 students, 18 of whom were in the experimental group and 18 in the control group. Data was collected through Mathematics Lesson Geometry and Measurement Area Academic Achievement Test, Problem Solving Inventory for Children, Mathematical Metacognition Awareness Scale, student-researcher diaries, student-researcher interview forms and semi-structured observation forms. The quantitative data of the study was analyzed through the use of the SPSS 21.0 statistical program. Independent sample t-test and two-factor analysis of variance and covariance (Ancova) were used to identify the differences between the groups. The significance level of p=.05 was taken as the basis for interpreting the differences across the scores. Content analysis was used during the analysis of qualitative data obtained from the interview forms, observation forms, student and researcher diaries. The findings revealed that the mathematics course geometry and measurement area academic achievement post-test and retention test scores of the students in the experimental group, who were taught mathematics enriched with intelligence games activities, were found to be significantly higher than those in the control group, who were taught as prescribed by the Ministry of National Education's Mathematics Curriculum. Likewise, a statistically significant difference was noted across the "confidence, self-control and avoidance" dimensions of the problem solving self-efficacy perceptions in favor of the experimental group. The results of the analysis carried out to compare the mathematical metacognitive awareness scores of the students in the experimental and control groups suggested a significant difference across the "mathematical determination" dimension of the scale in favor of the experimental group, while the "mathematical knowledge and "mathematical monitoring" dimensions were free from any significant difference across the groups. Retention tests were conducted five weeks after the experimental procedures were finalized with a view to measuring the retention of the study results. Accordingly, the mathematics course geometry and measurement area academic achievement retention test scores significantly varied in favor of the students in the experimental group. Another variable of the present study was related to the development of students' problem-solving self-efficacy perceptions. The statistical analyzes performed on the students' scores related to the retention test indicated a significant difference in favor of the experimental group in terms of the "trust and self-control" dimensions of the scale, while no significant difference was determined across the "avoidance" dimension. With regard to the mathematical metacognitive awareness, a significant difference was found in favor of the experimental group in all dimensions of "mathematical determination, mathematical knowledge and mathematical monitoring" between the retention test scores of the students in the experimental and control groups. Upon analyzing the diaries of the students in the experimental group, the students highlighted that they mostly enjoyed the activities based on problem-solving skills, that the activities they had the most difficulty with were those based on problem-solving skills, and that they did not experience any problems during the whole process of the study. In addition, the analysis of interview data with the students in the experimental group concluded that this study mostly contributed to the students' developmental areas (cognitive, social, emotional, etc.). The students also pinpointed that previous curricula encompassed pure information and that they were able to establish a cause-effect relationship in daily life with the knowledge they learned thanks to the curriculum used in this study. The diary kept by the researcher showed that he did not encounter any problems in terms of both the classroom environment and management during the implementation process. Based on the findings, various recommendations were provided. The activities of intelligence games should be used in all disciplines, the training of intelligence should be carried out in intelligence games workshops, the teachers should receive training on intelligence games, the lesson of intelligence games should be taught at all levels of education, these activities should be conducted in the school environment and at home. Key words: Intelligence games, mathematics, problem solving, cognitive awareness