Abstract

In the axis of basic skills and values, students' enjoyment of mathematics lesson and the realization of learning by taking a certain distance depend on the appreciation of the effort of the individual. Cooperative learning provides this requirement with a great deal of reward and success. Success increases individual's self-confidence and making him/her more powerful and positive in mathematical learning. By developing an individual’s positive attitude, mathematical barriers that may adversely affect his/her success in social interaction with friends might be removed. An individual can also help his/her friends in learning and reinforce his belief and self-esteem. This study aims to reveal the effect of cooperative learning method on students' academic achievement and attitudes towards mathematics in primary school fourth grade math class. The study was carried out with "pre-test -post-test control group experimental design". This pattern allows for the comparison of the success of the cooperative method used in the mathematics course to improve students’ achievement and positive attitude towards mathematics."Team Play Tournament Supported Student Teams and Achievement Divisions" (TPT supported STAD) technique, which combined the application of Student Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD) and “Team Play Tournament" (TPT) techniques from the cooperative learning applications, was applied to the test group. In the control group, the lessons were taught usingthe instructions in the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) 4th grade Mathematics Teacher's Guide Book. 4th grade primary school students in Malatya Battalgazi during the 2015-2016 academic year were the study participants. They were 40 students (20 in test group and 20 in control group). "Mathematics Attitude Scale" developed by Baykuland "Mathematics Achievement Test" developed by the researcher were applied to the test and control groups as pre-test and post-test. TPT supported STAD technique is more effective in increasing the academic achievement of the students in mathematics course compared to the teacher-centred teaching; however, it is less effective than teacher-centred teaching in their mathematics attitudes.

Keywords: Cooperative learning, teaching mathematics, mathematics attitude, academic achievement.