An examination of the activities in 8 th grade mathematics textbooks based on the levels of cognitive demand

Abstract

In this study, the cognitive demand levels of the activities in 8th grade mathematics textbooks were attempted to be identified and the distribution of these textbooks was compared based on the cognitive demand levels of the activities. The method used in the research was document analysis. In order to collect the data, a total of 90 activities in two 8th grade mathematics textbooks approved by the Education Board of the Ministry of National Education were examined. A descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the data. Findings of the study demonstrated that the number of activities in both textbooks approximated to each other. Although the reviewed textbooks were approved by the Board of Education as textbooks, it was observed that the cognitive demands of the activities provided concentrated on levels that are connected and are unconnected to procedures and that the textbooks demonstrated a differentiation based on cognitive demand levels when compared to each other. In this respect, students educated with different textbooks may have different learning outcomes.