An examination of secondary school students' algebraic thinking levels in terms of different variables (Afyonkarahisar sample)

This study aims to develop a scale secondary school students' algebraic thinking levels and to examine the students' algebraic thinking levels in terms of gender, class level, parents' education levels, socioeconomic status, and the frequency of solving puzzles/playing mind games. The survey method was used in this research. The scale development study was carried out on 290 students studying at secondary schools in Afyonkarahisar in the 2018-2019 academic year. The study carried out 472 secondary schools students in Afyonkarahisar. After explatory factor analysis, the results indicated that the scale had three factors and 26 items. When all the values and expected critical values were compared, it was found that the scale corresponded to perfect and best fitThe scale had a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.934. Besides descriptive, t test and one-way ANOVA were used for data analyses. It was found out that there was no significant difference between gender and secondary school students' algebraic thinking levels. It was found out that there were significant differences between algebraic thinking levels of the secondary school students and grade levels, parents' education levels, socioeconomic status. These differences 6th grade students' whose parents graduated from university, students' whose family had a monthly income of at least 4000TL, and a monthly income of at least 4000TL.