The effect of using scaffolding and hint with mobile applications in mathematical problem solving on academic achievement and cognitive loads of third year students

Within the scope of this research, the Problem Solving Educational Software (ProCEY) was developed to minimize the difficulties and mistakes that primary school third grade students encounter in mathematical problem solving and to support students by using mobile technology scaffolding and hint without teacher and peer support. It was aimed to determine the effect of educational software on students' academic achievement and cognitive load. In line with the purpose of the study, the application was carried out with 130 participants studying in the third grade of primary school in the fall semester of 2019-2020 academic year. The research was designed based on the experimental model, one of the quantitative research methods. Within the scope of the research, ProCEY was conducted with two experiments and a control group. Assignment was made for each group by simple random sampling, one of the random sampling methods. In the educational software, by taking Pólya's problem solving steps into account, fully solved, semi-solved, and unsolved examples were used. In the Experiment 1 group of the research, fully solved, semi-resolved and unsolved samples were prepared with software prepared with scaffolding; In experiment 2 group, fully resolved and unsolved samples were presented with software prepared with hint support. In the control group of the study, fully resolved and unsolved samples were presented in an unsupported environment. Facial anxiety scale, mental effort scale, time on task and academic achievement test were used as data collection tools. In the analysis of the data, 3x2 Mixed ANOVA (Two-Way Mixed ANOVA) and paired samples t test were used. The data obtained were analyzed in SPSS 25 program. According to the data obtained from the academic achievement test in the study, it was seen that the interaction of the groups from the pre-test scores to the post-test scores shows a significant difference. It was observed that there was no significant difference between the groups. According to this finding, it was concluded that the guiding support in the Experiment 1 group influenced academic achievement and increased from pre-test to post-test. According to the quantitative findings obtained from the facial anxiety scale in the study, no significant difference was found between the multiple interactions of the groups. In line with the findings, it was concluded that the anxiety levels of the participants changed according to the nature of each problem with the scaffolding and hint support used in the software. In the study, in line with the findings obtained from the mental effort scale in measuring cognitive loads, it was concluded that the participants in the Experiment 1 group spent more mental effort than the Experiment 2 and the control group in almost all of the measurements of the scaffold used in the ProCEY. It has been observed that mental effort is more in solved and semi-solved questions, while mental effort is less in unresolved questions. In line with the findings obtained from the speed of completing the task, Experiment 1 group spent less time in unsolved samples, while the control group spent more time. Based on this finding; It can be said that the scaffold used in the ProCEY increases the time spent by the participants in the mobile environment in solved samples, and decreases the time spent by the participants on the sample in unsolvable samples as the support decreases. Therefore, it can be said that if the Experiment 1 group spent more mental effort and time on solved and semi-resolved questions, their academic achievement increased as a result of their cognitive load increased and their cognitive load decreased in unresolved questions. Keywords: Primary School, Problem Solving, Mobil Application, Scaffolding, Hint, Cognitive Load, Academic Success.