Çevrim İçi Ortamlarda Ortaokul Öğrencilerine Yönelik Teknoloji Destekli Matematiksel Modelleme Sürecinin İncelenmesi

Abstract

This study was conducted when online learning environments (OLEs) had become widespread as an alternative learning method. It aimed to examine middle school students’ mathematical modeling experiences in an OLE. A case study approach was employed with 17 students from a public middle school in Central Anatolia during the 2021–2022 academic year. Various online mathematical modeling (OMM) activities, drawn from the literature and developed by the researcher, were presented. The purposes and methods of using digital tools in the OMM process were investigated, and changes in their usage according to modeling stages and problem characteristics were analyzed. Difficulties faced by students during OMM were also identified. Zoom and GeoGebra were used, and data collected via audio-video recordings and observations were analyzed with MAXQDA 24. Findings indicated that digital tools were primarily used for research at every stage and secondarily for calculation. Students employed these tools intensively during the mathematization and mathematical study phases for construction, drawing, experimentation, and visualization. Consequently, digital tool-related challenges occurred most frequently in these stages. Furthermore, students encountered barriers such as inadequate communication and collaboration, problems in accessing and using data, difficulty understanding mathematical relationships, and time constraints. Finally, the use of digital tools was found to differ based on problem characteristics. Future research should focus on selecting problems that allow for diverse uses of digital tools, thus supporting the development of both the modeling process and digital tool usage skills.