The Effect of Authentic Learning Activities Used in Mathematic Course on Middle School Students' Academic Achievement and Reasoning Skills

Abstract

The aim of the study is to determine the effect of activities based on authentic learning approach used in middle school mathematics course on students' academic achievement and reasoning skills. The research covers the learning outcomes of the Whole Numbers, Fractions and Decimal Fractions units in the 6th grade 1st semester of the mathematics course. The implementation of the research was carried out in the first semester of the 2022-2023 academic year in a public school in the Selçuklu district of Konya province. The control and experimental groups consisted of 33 and 26 6th grade students, respectively. The study was conducted for nine weeks in the fall semester. The data of the study were collected with "Academic Achievement Test" and "Reasoning Skills Test". T-test statistics were used to analyze the data. As a result of the study, it was seen that authentic learning activities used in mathematics lessons positively affected students' academic achievement and reasoning skills. These results show that learning experiences close to daily life skills will also contribute to reasoning skills.