Akademik Məlumat İdarəetmə Sistemi
International Conference on Interdisciplinary Research in Mathematics for Sustainable Development, INCIRESMA 2024, Surabaya, Indonesia, 10 August 2024, vol.3316, (Full Text)
Mathematical problem-solving within an integrated STEM context requires complex skills that affect students' mastery of it. This issue can be mitigated by investigating students' development in these skills and examining the cognitive factors that influence them. However, some studies have failed to examine these factors and the detailed development of skills comprehensively. This study aims to investigate the development of students' mathematical problem-solving skills across grades and examine the influential cognitive factors (i.e., mathematics knowledge, science knowledge, and text comprehension skills). It was conducted on 1,067 middle school students using both essay and multiple-choice tests. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, and structural equation modelling. The results revealed that students' mathematical problem-solving skills developed from grade 7 to 8 but declined in grade 9. A similar pattern was observed in the subsamples of urban students, female students, and male students. Additionally, all cognitive factors directly predicted mathematical problem-solving skills, with mathematics prior knowledge exerting the strongest influence. Prior knowledge of mathematics also indirectly affected mathematical problem-solving through science knowledge. The results related to the development in each subsample were discussed. It is recommended that further studies broaden the sample and measure variables.