إنذار المنذري

Arab league The Arab Organization for Education Culture and Science Institute of Arab Studies and Researches- Cairo Education Department The Effectiveness of using problem-solving strategy in teaching mathematics on the achievements and development of mental computation skills of first grade basic education students in Sultanate of Oman Summary M.A. thesis for the fulfillment of Master's Degree in Education (Curricula and Methodology/ Mathematics) Presented study by Enthar Ali Al-Manthari Supervision by Prof. Dr. Khalifa Abd Samie Khalifa Professor of Curricula and Methodology(Mathematics) 1430H – 2009 AC Summary of the study The use of problem-solving strategy as a method of teaching was in line with the emergence of the concept of modern curriculum, and it is used effectively to achieve educational goals. Many of the previous studies have shown that problem-solving strategy has great importance in the development of numeric skills. On this regard, the current study attempted to measure the effectiveness of using problem-solving strategy in teaching the calculation of numbers for grade one of basic education students. This was done through training students to use some mathematical problem-solving strategies and the impact on the overall performance in mathematics and in the development of mental computation skills. The problem of study The problem of the study was identified through answering the following question: How effective is the use of problem-solving strategy in teaching of mathematics on the achievements and development of mental computation skills of first grade basic education students in Sultanate of Oman? This question can be divided into the following sub-questions: 1) How effective is the use of problem-solving strategy in teaching of mathematics on the achievements of grade one basic education students? 3) How effective is the use of problem-solving strategy in teaching of mathematics in the development of mental computation skills of grade one of basic education students? The Importance of the study The study is important because it: 1. It is expected that it will be useful to the following people: • helps curriculum planners in organizing the academic content of mathematics in a clearer way to the learner, teacher and parents. • helps mathematics teachers in delivering the subject through problem-solving strategy in a coherent and organized way. • helps students to carry out arithmetic calculations in various ways, accurately and at a good speed. 2. The Study provides a guide that helps the teacher to teach calculation of numbers in mathematics curriculum for grade one of basic education, which includes the use of certain types of mathematical problem-solving strategies to find the result of calculations of addition and subtraction of natural numbers in the (100). 3. The study presents a student activities book specific for operations with numbers in light of the goals established therein. 4. The study provides a test in mathematics with high degree of reliability which can be benefited from. 5. The study provides a test of mental computation with high degree of reliability which can be benefited from. Study sample The researcher has chosen the study sample, deliberately, from two basic education schools, in order to stabilize the variables that may affect the course of study such as the economic and social level, where the sample of pupils in schools represent almost the same variables . As a result, two schools have been selected: Manba' Al-Elm School for basic education (1-4), and Khadra Ibri school for basic education (1-4). Also two first-grade basic education classes were selected from each school and were randomly classified into two groups: the experimental group with (32) pupils, and the controlling group with (34) pupils. Study tools To achieve the objectives of the study the researcher prepared the following tools: 1. Re-building the teacher's guide for the teaching of number calculation using the problem-solving strategy. 2. Writing a student's activities book. 3. Preparing a mathematics achievement test. 4. Preparing mental computation test. Study Procedures Followed the researcher to collect data and answer questions about the study, the following steps: 1) Review of educational literature and previous studies on the present study, in order to benefit from the results in the current study. 2) Analysis of the mathematics curriculum for grade one of basic education on Sultanate of Oman, for use in the preparation of the current study tools. 3) Re-building of the teacher's guide for the teaching of number calculation using problem-solving strategy. 4) Randomize the selection of two schools, and to identify the study sample, and divided into two groups: the experimental group and the controlled group, and the selection of teachers. 5) Verification of the equality of the experimental group and control group in the variables for the characteristics of the sample, and the variables for the study procedures. 6) The application of the experience of the study. 7) The application of the tests: the achievement test in mathematics and mental computation test for the two groups for the study. 8) Statistical analysis for the data. 9) Writing and discuss the results and propose recommendations. Statistical treatment The researcher used the following statistical treatments to test the validity of the assumptions and to answer the main question of the study: 1. Independent-Samples T Test to determine the significance of the difference in the average of students' marks in the experimental group and the controlled group in the achievement test in mathematics, and in the mental computation test. 2. Calculate the impact of using problem-solving strategy in teaching on the achievements, and the development of mental computation skills using the impact influence formula (Eta ²). Summary of the study results 1. There is a significant statistical difference at the level (0.05) between the average grades of the experimental group and the controlled group in the achievement test in mathematics for the favour of the experimental group. 2. There is a significant statistical difference at the level (0.05) between the average grades of the experimental group and the controlled group in the mental computation test for the favour of the experimental group. These results confirm the effectiveness of the use of problem-solving strategy in teaching of mathematics in the achievement and the development of mental computation skills of the first-grade basic education students in Sultanate of Oman.