Examination of number senses studies: A meta-synthesis study

Number sense is a contemporary concept that emerges as freedom in mathematical operations. The aim of this study is to reach the studies in the field of number sense and to determine the trends in the studies with thematic content analysis. Using the document analysis method in the research, 40 articles and 27 theses published in the national literature between 2010-2019; In the international literature, thematic content analysis was conducted for a total of 211 studies, 119 articles and 25 theses. Studies were examined in terms of publication place, type, year, sample size, sample group, research method, data collection tool and analysis type, research purpose, and number sense components that students showed high and low performance. According to the findings, it was seen that the most number of articles (n=159) among the studies in the field of number sense. When the results of number sense studies were examined, a positive correlation was found between the concept of number sense and various variables (parent education level, gender, school type, etc.). It has been observed that the concept of number sense is affected by genetic factors, and the social environment has a significant effect on the acquisition of the concept. It has been observed that the low skill level of the concept can be changed by the effect of the social environment. It has been concluded that teachers with concept knowledge are much more successful in concept transfer. In addition, it has been observed that the acquisition of number sense is higher in technology-supported trainings. When the suggestions section is examined, this technique can be taken into account in the program preparation process by emphasizing the importance of number sense on mathematics education. In addition, while there are studies conducted with different topics abroad, there are studies conducted with limited topics in the country. Studies on the relationship between number sense and different subject headings can be carried out in the country. Keywords: Number sense, Thematic content analysis, Math education