An investigation of 7th grade students’ synthesizing mind skills<p>Ortaokul yedinci sınıf öğrencilerinin sentezleyen zihin özelliklerinin incelenmesi

Abstract

In this study, it was investigated that to what extent the 7th grade math and science students have the synthesizing mind skills. The study group was formed by students in three schools (above average, average, and below average) located in Ankara. The schools were chosen according to Level Determination Examination scores in 2012. The data was gathered by an observation form, a scenario and student interview form, developed by the researcher. During science observation, average school students show the synthesizing mind skills more than the ones in other schools; in interviews, the students of above average school defined the level of their behaviours as below average, the students of below average school defined their behaviors as above average. Except for these particular circumstances, the extent of students' synthesizing mind skills had the same characteristics as the academic grading of the schools. It was observed that the show of the synthesizing mind skills in the teaching-learning environment is largely dependent on the teachers' abilities. For this reason, teachers should be trained to develop the synthesized mind skills of students.