Examination of the relationship between secondary school students' perceptions regarding their school lives, cognitive flexibility, and mathematics achievement

The situations that secondary school students encounter in the school environment and their cognitive flexibility have a significant impact on their mathematics success in learning process. Positive school experiences and high levels of cognitive flexibility have a significant impact on students' academic progress. Therefore, it is of great importance to investigate students' perception of education and teaching experiences at school and their cognitive flexibility levels. High academic expectations, autonomous learning, reduction in school absenteeism and reduction in disruptive behaviors are affected by students' sense of school belonging and attitudes towards learning. With this situation, secondary school students' high level of cognitive flexibility in the face of unexpected events at school is a helpful ability in their school life. Students with high cognitive flexibility and positive attitudes towards school can be more willing to move on to the next level of education and increase motivation to learn new things in the classroom. Students who are highly cognitively flexible and academically motivated will do better on their exams and display the sensitivity and responsiveness needed to complete their assignments and responsibilities. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of three different variables on middle school students. These variables are middle school students perceptions of school experiences, cognitive flexibility, and mathematics achievement. In the study, the cognitive flexibility inventory and the perceived school experiences scale were used to investigate the relationship between the three different conditions and the mathematicsachievement of middle school children. A quantitative research design was used in the study. Since the relationships between three different variables were examined in the study, the relational survey model was used. In the 2022-2023 academic year, 1391 students in the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade secondary schools in Antalya province and its districts participated in the research. The data of the research were collected throughthe "Perceived School Experiences Scale" adapted into Turkish by Baytemir, Akın Kösterelioğlu and Kösterelioğlu (2015) the "Cognitive Flexibility Scale" developed by Çelikkaleli (2014a) and their mathematics grades taken in the previous teaching-learning year. In statistical calculations, independent sample t test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation test and regression analysis were used. In the light of the findings obtained in the study, a low-level positive and statistically significant relationship was found between cognitive flexibility, perception of school life and mathematics achievement. Another result is that middle school students' mathematics achievement is moderate, their cognitive flexibility and perceptions about school life are high. It was concluded that there was no statistically significant difference in mathematics achievement scores according to the gender variable, but a statistically significant difference was observed in their perceptions of school life and cognitive flexibility. When analyzed according to grade levels, it was concluded that although there was no statistically significant difference between students' cognitive flexibility, there was a statistically significant difference in perceived school life and mathematics achievement. In addition, students' cognitive flexibility and perceived school life differ significantly according to their mathematics achievement. Finally, it was concluded that the cognitive flexibility of secondary school students and their perceptions of their school life predicted their mathematics achievement to a certain extent. Keywords: Cognitive flexibility, Mathematics, Mathematics achievement, School life, Secondary school students.