EFFECTS OF ORGANIZING MATHEMATICS LEARNING ACTIVITIES USING THE PROBLEM SOLVING MODEL OF METACOGNITIVE PROCESS ON MATHEMATICS PROBLEM SOLVING AND CRITICAL THINKING ABILITIES OF EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS
Abstract:
The purposes of this research were 1) to compare mathematics problem solving abilities of students before and after being taught by organizing mathematics learning activities using the problem solving model of metacognitive process; 2) to compare mathematics problem solving abilities of students being taught by organizing mathematics learning activities using the problem solving model of metacognitive process and those being taught by a conventional approach; 3) to compare critical thinking abilities of students before and after being taught by organizing mathematics learning activities using the problem solving model of metacognitive process; 4) to compare critical thinking abilities of students being taught by organizing mathematics learning activities using the problem solving model of metacognitive process and those being taught by the conventional approach; and 5) to study mathematics problem solving and critical thinking abilities of students being taught using the problem solving model of metacognitive process. The subjects were 108 eighth grade students at Horwang School, in the first semester of the academic year 2013. The experimental group was taught by using the problem solving model of metacognitive process, while the control group was taught by the conventional approach. The instruments of data collection were 1) Mathematics problem solving ability test; and 2) Critical thinking ability test The result of the study revealed that 1) Mathematics problem solving abilities of students in the experimental group, after the experiment, were statistically higher than those before, at the .05 level of significance.2) Mathematics problem solving abilities of students in the experimental group were higher than those of students in the control group at the .05 level of significance.3) Critical thinking abilities of students in the experimental group, after the experiment, were statistically higher than those before, at the .05 level of significance.4) Critical thinking abilities of students in the experimental group were higher than those of students in the control group at the .05 level of significance5) Mathematics problem solving and critical thinking abilities of students in the experimental group were developed in positive direction