Athens Journal of Education - Volume 8 - Issue 4 - November 2021 - The Effectiveness of Inquiry-based Learning on Middle School Students’ Mathematics Reasoning Skill

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aran

Study examines how inquiry-based learning (IBL) affects seventh-grade students’ mathematics reasoning skill in ratio and proportion topics. Conducted in a Central Anatolia middle school during the 2016–2017 academic year, the implementation used course recordings, worksheets, student interviews, and diaries. Although 30 students participated, nine were selected for analysis across different achievement levels. Findings indicate predictive, explanation, generalization, and justification skills emerged as reasoning indicators, concluding reasoning skill is effective during IBL.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages24

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Introduction

Reasoning Skill in IBL-M

Athens Journal of Education-Volume 8, Issue 4, November 2021 – Pages 417-440 The Effectiveness of Inquiry-based Learning on Middle School Students’ Mathematics Reasoning Skill By Ceylan Şen􀀍, Zeynep Sonay AY† & Gürsel Güler‡ This study investigated the effectiveness of inquiry-based learning (IBL) approach in ratio and proportion on the mathematics reasoning skill of seventh-grade students. The study was carried out in a seventh-grade mathematics course in a middle school located in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey during the 2016-2017 academic year. The IBL content was prepared and implemented about the ratio and proportion topics on which the reasoning skill is effective in the 7th grade curriculum. The IBL teaching implementations were conducted with 30 seventh grade students, but nine students, who represented different math achievement levels, were selected for the study‟s analysis. Course video recordings, worksheets, student interviews, and diaries were used as data collection tools. The results showed that the students' predictive, explanation, generalization and justification skills emerged as indicators of reasoning skill. Students made different predictions and generalizations based on their existing knowledge and they developed solutions to problems using different strategies in IBL process. According to these findings, it was concluded that students' reasoning skill were effective during IBL. Keywords: Inquiry-Based Learning in Mathematics (IBL-M), Reasoning skill, Ratio and proportion, Middle school students Introduction IBL is a training strategy in which students develop their own methods and practices in structuring scientific knowledge. IBL is a problem-solving approach used by learners from early childhood which aims to enhance their inquiry and reasoning skills within cause-and-effect relationships to learn concepts and develop in-depth understanding (Keselman, 2003). IBL in mathematics education (IBL-M) involves an instructional process in which semi structured questions involving real-life problems are asked to encourage learning and stimulate curiosity in students (Blair, 2008) . IBL-M emphasizes the importance of feedback while constructing new mathematical ideas. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 2000) emphasizes the importance of mathematical problem-solving in the IBL-M process in which students are engaged in mathematical argument-making, assumptions, questionformulating, and solution development for realistic problems. Therefore, IBL-M is student-focused, inquiry-based, and problem/ question-based, and the use of communication, cooperation, and reflection skills are essential in the instructional process. IBL-M offers the opportunity to generate and create new perspectives on 􀀍Assistant Professor, Yozgat Bozok University, Turkey. †Assistant Professor, Hacettepe University, Turkey. ‡Associate Professor, Yozgat Bozok University, Turkey. . [https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.8-4-5](https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.8-4-5) doi=10.30958/aje.8-4-5 Vol. 8, No. 4 Şen et al.: The Effectiveness of Inquiry-Based Learning … mathematical problems and content by giving students questions in the context of the curriculum, starting from their previous experience and experimenting with multiple solutions (Chapman, 2011). The IBL mathematics classroom is based on the construction of mathematical rules, concepts, and principles by students beyond the direct presentation of mathematical concepts and processes by the teacher. IBL-M can help students to develop alternative mathematical explanations through interaction with their teacher and peers, the creation of sociomathematical norms, and the free circulation of ideas in the classroom. In IBL-M, students are asked questions such as “If happens, what should we do?” to encourage them to question and explore (Slavit & Lesseig, 2016). Utilizing such questions in the teaching process may improve students‟ ability to recognize

FAQs

What does the study investigate about inquiry-based learning (IBL)?

It investigates the effectiveness of the inquiry-based learning approach on seventh-grade students’ mathematics reasoning skill in ratio and proportion topics.

What data collection tools were used in the research?

Course video recordings, worksheets, student interviews, and diaries were used as data collection tools.

Which reasoning-related skills did the results highlight?

The results showed that predictive, explanation, generalization, and justification skills emerged as indicators of reasoning skill.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aran