Investigation of geometry tasks in primary and middle school Mathematics textbooks in terms of type, context, representation form and cognitive demand levels

In 2005, reforms changed teaching programs of almost all disciplines in Turkey and further in 2015 existing programs were reconstructed. The developments in teaching programs bring improving textbooks, which are the most used materials by teachers, and increasing the quality of tasks in textbooks to the agenda. The overall aim of this study is to analyze the geometry tasks in mathematics textbooks for primary and middle schools that are published by TTKB for 2016-2017 school year, at macro and micro levels. In this regard, first the tasks are divided into three types, namely activity, practice- problem and example. Secondly the tasks are analyzed in terms of representation type (verbal, shapes, pictures and symbols) and context (intra-mathematics and non-mathematics). Finally, the task are investigated with respect to cognitive demand levels that are classified as memorization, procedures without connections, procedures with connections and doing mathematical tasks, and then analyzed (Stein, Smith, Henningsen and Silver, 2000). In compliance with the purpose of the study, data was collected by using document analysis method. Data is presented in tables at macro and micro levels, and the analysis of the study is made taking these tables into account. According to the results obtained from the research, most observed tasks are problem-exercises, shape and intra-mathematics in terms of type, representation and contextual models, respectively. As the cognitive demand levels of geometry tasks are examined, it is identified that the tasks mostly involve procedures without connections and procedures with connections. The tasks involving higher level of cognitive demand do not belong to the type of doing mathematics but to the type of procedures with connections. Moreover, the increase in grade level is inversely proportional to the increase in cognitive demand level. The cognitive demand level of geometry tasks in primary school textbooks is higher than that of middle school textbooks. Considering the results of this work, it is suggested that the number of the task requiring high level cognitive demand should be increased and especially the tasks requiring high level of cognitive demand should be employed by teachers in class. Keywords: Levels of cognitive demand, Analysis of textbook, Mathematics textbooks,Geometry tasks.