The relationship between middle school students' number sense and algebraic habits of mind

The purpose of this study is to determine the performance of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade middle school students in number sense and algebraic habits of the mind, and to examine the relationship between number sense and algebraic habits of the mind. The sample of the study consists of 648 middle school students enrolled in 10 public schools in the central district of Adıyaman during the 2024-2025 academic year. Student participation in the study was ensured on a voluntary basis using an appropriate sampling methods. In the study, a correlational research method was used. In the first phase of the research, the "Number Sense Scale," consisting of 17 open-ended questions, was administered to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. In the second phase, the open-ended "Algebraic Habits of Mind Determination Test" (ZCA) was administered for each grade level, tailored to the corresponding learning outcomes. In addition to descriptive statistics, simple correlation and simple linear regression analyses were used in the examination of the data. When the research findings were examined, it was observed that the average scores for number sense were quite low. Similarly, it was determined that the average scores on the ZCA Determination Test were also low; furthermore, when statistics related to grade levels were examined, it was found that student achievement scores varied. According to the findings, significant relationships were observed between the scores obtained from the Number Sense Scale and the ZCA Determination Test score. In this context, it was observed that number sense scores significantly predicted the ZCA Determination Test scores of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students, with this relationship being particularly strong among 7th grade students. These findings highlight the importance of the relationship between number sense and algebraic habits and provide useful information for researchers and educators working in the field.