The relationship between visual mathematics literacy self-efficacy perception levels and actual performance of secondary school students in city rural

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between visual mathematics literacy self-efficacy perception levels and actual performance of secondary school students studying in city rural. Method: Quantitative method was used in the study and relational survey model was adopted as the design. In order to obtain general information about the participants, a "Personal Information Form", which was organized in relation to the variables of the study, was used. In addition, the "Visual Mathematics Literacy Self-Efficacy Perception Scale" (VMLSPS) was used to examine students' self-efficacy perceptions about visual mathematics literacy. In addition, a performance test consisting of open-ended questions and evaluated with a graded scoring system was applied to measure students' actual mathematical abilities. The sample of the study consisted of a total of 146 middle school students, 76 female and 70 males, studying in the 7th grade of a public middle school in Karesi district of Balıkesir province in the 2023-2024 academic year. In the study, it was determined that the data were normally distributed and the significance of the difference between the mean scores was evaluated using independent samples t test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). In addition, Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the scale and the performance test. In all questions in the performance test, the data were analyzed for each student. In addition, incorrect student answers were presented according to their numerical numbers. Results: When the findings obtained from the research were evaluated in general, it was seen that the visual mathematics literacy self-efficacy perceptions and actual performances of secondary school students studying in city rural were in the middle level score range. In addition, while students' visual mathematics literacy self-efficacy perceptions did not differ significantly according to gender, pre-school education, graduated primary school and parental behaviours, statistically significant differences were found in favour of students with high report card scores and teachers with democratic attitudes. Conclusion and Suggestions: In the study, it was concluded that there was a statistically positive and moderately significant relationship between students' self-efficacy perceptions of visual mathematical literacy and their actual performance. This may mean that the VMLSPS accurately predicts the actual performance test. In the comparison made to examine this relationship in more depth, it was found that the percentage of "correct" or "partially correct" answers to the questions in the performance test was higher than the percentage of "always" or "often" answers to the items in the scale. The fact that families living in city rural usually have low levels of education and are constantly working due to economic difficulties may cause them not to show enough interest in their children's education. As a result, children may develop a lack of self-confidence and may not fully realize their own skills and level of knowledge. This may cause them to perceive their performance as lower than it is. The result of the study may be an indicator of this situation. In order to increase the visual mathematical literacy performance of city rural students, teachers can encourage mathematical thinking through real-world problems by using examples of mathematics encountered in daily life. In addition, educators can provide supportive feedback and guidance to increase students' self-confidence and enable them to realize their true abilities. Keywords: Visual mathematical literacy, Mathematics performance, Self-efficacy, City rural