Middle School Students' Mathematical Resilience and Perceptions of Mathematics: A Cluster Analysis Approach

Abstract

The primary purpose of the present study was to examine whether Turkish middle school students' perceptions of mathematics teachers, perceptions of mathematics learning, and their mathematical resilience can be used to divide students into clusters with similar profiles. The sample consisted of middle school students with ages ranging from 11 to 15. Two-step cluster analysis was used to create profile groups. As a result of cluster analysis, two distinct profiles were revealed. The results showed that clusters -formed in the present study differentiated according to students’ perceptions of mathematics teachers, learning mathematics, their mathematical resilience, and their mathematics achievement. Students in cluster 1 have higher mathematics achievement, value mathematics, perceive mathematics teachers as knowledgeable and supportive people, perceive learning mathematics as a fun process requiring effort. Students in cluster 2 have lower mathematics achievement. They perceive mathematics teachers as the source of anxiety and learning mathematics as a difficult process. They also have low belief levels that mathematics ability can be improved in comparison to cluster 1.