Cognitive Competencies and Difficulties of 6th Grade Students in Mathematical Modeling

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the cognitive modeling competencies of sixth-grade middle school students and to identify the difficulties they encounter during this process. The research was conducted with 50 sixth-grade students attending a public middle school located in eastern Türkiye. Data were collected through the Modeling Competency Form developed by the researchers. Adopting a qualitative research approach, the study was designed as a case study. The qualitative data obtained were analyzed using descriptive analysis. The findings revealed that students experienced cognitive deficiencies in the mathematical modeling process, particularly in the stages of validation and interpretation. Based on the results, a list of students’ cognitive difficulties in the modeling process was compiled, and several recommendations were proposed to address these challenges.