Abstract:
This research aimed at examining the areas of weakness of Al Ain
Educational District preparatory students of the United Arab Emirates in
solving verbal mathematical problems, and evaluating the effect of some
factors such as sex, language level , and students’ mathematical level on it.
Particularly, this study tried to answer the following questions:-
1. What are the areas of weakness of the Preparatory students in Al Ain
Educational District in solving verbal mathematical problems?
2. Does any statistically significant relation exist between the students’
weakness in solving verbal problems and their weakness in
mathematics?
3. Does any statistically significant relation exist between the students’
weakness in solving verbal problems and weakness level in Arabic
language?
4. Does any statistically significant relation exist between the students’
weakness in mathematics and their weakness in Arabic?
5. Does any statistically significant difference exist in the level of the
students’ weakness in solving verbal problems attributed to the factor of
sex?
6. Does any statistically significant difference exist in the level of the
students’ weakness in solving verbal problems attributed to the factor of
the weak students’ educational level in mathematics(high, medium, low)
for each class?
To achieve that, the researcher have randomly chosen (1124) students
(males and females) of the three preparatory classes from Al Ain’s
governmental preparatory schools as sample units. And a test was prepared
comprising of six mathematical verbal problems covering the mathematics
curriculum for each of the three classes, after taking the advises of a referee
committee of: preparatory stage mathematics and Arabic advisors, United Arab
Emirates University and Ajman University for Science and Technology
Doesctors, in addition to mathematics teachers for the same stage. Thus
assuring the honesty and persistence of these tests, which were applied at the
beginning of the second semester of the academic year 2001-2002 under the
supervision of the researcher.
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The researcher also got the grades of the first semester of the same year for
all the sample students in both mathematics and Arabic, to know the
educational level of them and evaluate them accordingly.
After marking the tests and analyzing the resulting data using appropriate
statistical techniques with the SPSS software, the study resulted in:-
1. The presence of weakness in the areas of: selecting the proper operation,
applying it, mathematical skills, and result finding. For both the seventh and
eighth classes .while in the ninth class they were: stating and applying
theories, conclusion, and skills - which was the only criterion common in
the three classes and at the lead, with a mean of 63.1% of the sample.
2. There was a significant relation between the students’ weakness in solving
verbal problems and their weakness in mathematics.
3. There was a significant relation between the students’ weakness in solving
verbal problems and their weakness in Arabic.
4. There was no significant relation between the students’ weakness in
mathematics and their weakness in Arabic.
5. There were no significant differences in the level of the students’ weakness
in solving verbal problems attributed to the factor of sex.
6. Regarding the effect of students’ level in mathematics, the study showed a
significant increase in the weak students grades in problem solving with the
increase in their educational level in mathematics, for both the seventh and
eighth classes. while in the ninth class the relation was only between the
low level students and both the high and the medium levels, with the higher
level better in each time. And regardless of sex.
