MOTIVATION OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN MATHEMATICS CLASSES

Činjenice da su djeca sve bistrija, sposobnija i svestranija, a njihova matematička znanja sve manja i lošija, motivirale su autore na ovo istraživanje. Istraživanje je provedeno u 10 osnovnih škola Novog Zagreba. U uzorku je bilo 374 učenika VIII. razreda, koji su dali odgovor na 25 pitanja iz Upitnika kojeg su autori rabili u istraživanju. Istraživanje pokazuje da su učenici svjesni uloge matematike u njihovu školovanju i životu. Unatoč tome, oni matematiku uglavnom uče zbog ocjenjivanja. Ocjena im je glavna i najjača motivacija za učenje. Učenicima je na nastavi matematike uglavnom dosadno. U nastavi matematike učenike treba shvatiti kao ravnopravne, aktivne subjekte. Učenici moraju biti svjesni da je učiteljima stalo do njih, da su partneri s jednakim ciljevima i zadaćama, čija realizacija je zadovoljstvo, radost i sreća nastala u zajedničkom istraživanju i stvaranju, uzajamnom motiviranju i razvoju uz obostrano razumjevanje, prijateljstvo, uvažavanje i bezuvjetnu ljubav prema učenju i zvanju.It is well–known that every day our children are brighter, cleverer and have more skills and at the same time their matematical knowledge is more insufficient and inadequate, and our research is based on these facts. Teaching in the school is how we learn mathematics. It is obvious that something is wrong in that kind of school with that mathematics teaching. Our research shows that pupils are well aware of importance and role, which mathematics plays in their education and life. Despite of that, they learn mathematics primarily only because of their grades. The grade is the highest and most important motivation for learning for them. Significant motivation for mathematics learning are teachers , who are highly regarded as experts and people and pupils are well aware of their dissapointing social appreciation, unfair evaluation of their work, and their leading role in upbringing and education of young people. Mathematics teaching is mainly uninteresting for the pupils. That means that math teaching needs to be rearranged and brought up to date. Teaching programmes, teaching process, teaching methods, articulation of teaching in its all phases need to be adjusted to every pupil, so that they all can have same chances for education, despite of different personal possibilities. Pupils have to be understood as equal activ subjects in mathematics teaching. They have to be aware of the fact that they are important to their teachers, that they are both partners with the same goals and tasks, which realisation are satisfaction, joy and happiness produced in mutual research and creation, common reciprocial motivation and development with common understanding, friendship, appreciation and unconditional love for learning and knowledge