The effects of cooperative learning on student's academic achievement and metacognitive awareness in primary 4th grade mathematics course

The aim of the study is to investigate the effects of cooperative learning on student's academic achievement and metacognitive awareness in primary 4th grade mathematics course. For this purpose, quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test method was used in the study. Research was conducted in two primary schools that determined randomly in Buca, Izmir in the second term of 2014– 2015 education year. The study included one control group and one experimental group, There were 32 students in experimental group and 34 students in control group. The research, which was carried out on "Fraction" and "Time" units lasted for ten weeks. Subjects in both groups was conducted by researcher during the study. Dual control technique which is a technique of cooperative learning used in the experimental group. On the other hand current teaching methods were applied on the control group. In the research in order to collect data "Achievement Test" that was developed by the researcher and "Metacognitive Awareness Inventory for Children A Form" were used. These were applied to the groups as pre test and post test. The obtained data was analyzed using dependent sample t-test and independent sample t test of SPSS 15 program in order to search for answers to the sub problems. The results of the analysis proved that post academic achievement test scores of the experimental group was different at 0.05 level of significance according to post academic achievement test scores of the control group. However at the end of the research period lasted for almost three months not any significant difference was observed about metacognitive awareness in both the experimental group and the control group. This situation is considered to be stem from the research was not lasted enough to effect students'metacognitive awareness at the end of study, it was found that dual control technique which is a technique of cooperative learning had a positive effect on fourth grade students' mathematics achievement. Key Words: Teaching Mathematics, Cooperative Learning, Dual Control Technique Metacognitive Awareness