The effect of realistic mathematics education approach on visual mathematics literacy, perceptions of mathematics self-efficacy and academic success of 8th grade secondary students

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of the Realistic Mathematics Education approach on visual mathematics literacy, mathematics self-efficacy perception and academic success and to obtain student opinions about this approach. This research, which was conducted in a public school in the Hani district of Diyarbakır, is a mixed-design research as quantitative and qualitative research methods were used simultaneously. In the quantitative part of the research, a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group was used. Probability Achievement Test, Visual Mathematics Literacy Scale and Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale were used as measurement tools. Data obtained from these tests; Normality analysis, related and unrelated samples were analyzed by t-test. The study group of the research includes a total of 52 students, 27 in the experimental group and 25 in the control group. As a result of the research; While there was a significant difference in favor of the experimental group in terms of the academic achievement variable, no significant difference was found in terms of the Visual Mathematics Literacy and Mathematics Self-Efficacy variables. In the qualitative part of the study, content analysis was used and students' opinions about the Realistic Mathematics Education approach were obtained through the semi-structured Student Interview Form. According to the findings, students made statements about the Realistic Mathematics Education approach such as: "It makes daily life easier", "It helps to make abstract situations concrete", "It makes mathematics fun" and "It ensures permanence of learning". Even though their numbers were small, some students stated that groups other than themselves were making noise and therefore they sometimes had the problem of "not being able to focus". Most of the students stated that the Realistic Mathematics Education approach should be used in the achievements of the mathematics course, while some students stated that this approach should not be used in teaching every subject. It was observed that the majority of students had positive views towards the Realistic Mathematics Education approach.