Students' mathematics educational values at religious vocational middle schools: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

The purpose of this cross-sectional study (n = 43764 in four cohorts/groups) is to uncover the values when leaming mathematics that students at Religious Vocational Middle Schools (in Turkish: Imam-Hatip Middle Schools) where religious contexts and contents are taught intensively in Turkey. In this regard, the study investigates the mathematics educational values of students in Grades 5 through 8 at Imam-Hatip Middle Schools using a standardised questionnaire. MANOVA and post-hoc analyses have been performed to determine group differences. The results indicate the importance students give to the values of relevance, learning approach, consolidating, and practice to decrease as grade level increases; each grade of students emphasised the value of practice the most and the value of information and communications technology (ICT) the least. In this sense, it can be said that there is no clear connection between cultural context and mathematics educational values (for example, the order of importance given to practice and ICT values) in a school where religious content and context are intense when compared with value studies in different school cultures.