RESEARCHING THE STUDENT\u27S PERCEPTION OF MATHEMATICS IN THE SECOND TRIAD

Matematika je eden izmed ključnih predmetov v osnovni šoli in pomembna veda za življenje. Nekateri jo imajo radi in se jim zdi pomembna, uporabna, drugim pa vzbuja neprijetne občutke in polno nerazumljivih pojmov, računov, enačb. V teoretičnem delu magistrske naloge so predstavljeni vloga in pomen matematike v družbi, afektivni vidiki učenja matematike, pomen prepričanj in odnosa učencev do matematike, izsledki dosedanjih raziskav s tega področja ter možnosti raziskovanja afektivnih vidikov skozi risbo. V empiričnem delu je predstavljena raziskava, ki je bila zasnovana kot kombinacija kvalitativne in kvantitativne metodologije. Namen raziskave je bil preko risbe ugotoviti, kakšen je pomen matematike za učence druge triade osnovne šole, obenem pa raziskati razlike v njihovih predstavah o matematiki tudi glede na spol, razred in odnos učencev. Raziskava je temeljila na neslučajnostnem vzorcu učencev četrtih, petih in šestih razredov treh devetletnih osnovnih šol. V raziskavi je sodelovalo 265 učencev. V procesu sistematične analize risb se je pojavilo 16 kategorij. Rezultati so pokazali, da učencem matematika v največji meri pomeni oz. predstavlja številske izraze, ki vključujejo osnovne računske operacije. Številski izrazom po pogostosti pojavljanja v risbah sledijo števila in matematični pripomočki. Več kot polovica učencev je v svojih risbah upodobila sebe v povezavi z matematiko in pri večini teh učencev se je pokazalo, da imajo negativen odnos do matematike. V risbah učencev je bilo zaznati tudi povezavo med vključevanjem šolskega prostora v risbo in odnosom učencev do matematike, in sicer so šolski prostor v večji meri uporabljali učenci z negativnim odnosom. Nekaj kategorij se je pojavilo pri manj kot desetini učencev, to so dolgčas, ocena iz matematike, uporabnost matematike in elementi vezani na naravo.Mathematics is one of the key subjects of elementary school and a science important for life. Some love it and think it is important others feel unpleasant about it and think it is full of incomprehensible notions, calculations, and equations. The theoretical part of this Thesis present the role and the significance of mathematics in society, the affective aspects of learning mathematics, the importance of beliefs and relations to mathematics, the results of existing research in this field and the possibilities of researching affective aspects through drawings. The empirical part of this Thesis presents a research which is based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodology. The aim of this research was to learn, through drawings, the significance of mathematics for pupils in the second triad of elementary school and at the same time discover differences in their perceptions about mathematics according to gender, class and relationships of pupils. The research was based on a non-probability sample of pupils in fourth, fifth, and sixth classes in three nine-year elementary schools. There were 265 pupils involved in the research. The process of systematic analysis of drawings indicated 16 categories. The results demonstrated that pupils percept mathematics as numerical expressions which include basic operations. According to frequency in the drawing, numerical expressions are followed by numbers and mathematical instruments. More than half of the pupils draw themselves in connection to mathematics and the drawings indicated that they have a negative relation to mathematics. A correlation between the inclusion of school environment into the drawing and the relation of pupils to mathematics was also noticeable. School environment was more frequently drawn by pupils with negative relations. Some categories appeared in less than one tenth of the cases, these were tediousness, usefulness of mathematics and elements connected to nature