Increasing the Mathematical Literacy Based on the Problem Solving Teaching and Realistic Mathematics

Abstract

Purpose: The main of this research was to calculate the efficiency of 9th grade high school female students as well as educational process development to increase the math literacy. Methodology: This educational process is done by combining realistic mathematics education and the process of solving mathematical problems by quasi-experimental method. The statistical population of the study was 242 ninth grade students in district 19 of Tehran province in the 98-99 academic year; they were divided into two groups of 122 students as experimental group (A, B) and 122 students as control group (C, D). The data analysis method was based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The output-oriented Charles, Cooper, and Rhodes (CCR) model was used for determining the efficiency of the students. Findings: Each student was considered as a decision-making unit (DMU) in which inputs were mathematical pre-test scores and outputs were the mathematical post-test scores. 91.185% of class A students and 93.6% of class B students from the experimental group were efficient, which has much better offspring than the control group. Conclusion: The results showed that the students involved in problem solving and realistic math instruction were efficient and the Pisa test performed very well. In addition, data envelopment analysis was a suitable method for evaluating and analyzing students' annual performance.