The Effect of Chess Instruction on Mathematics Motivational Strategies for Learning and Error Model of Students’ Problem Solving Based on Newman Model

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of chess instruction on mathematics motivational strategies forlearning (MMSL) and error model of students’ problem solving at different level of education based on Newman model. In this study 180 boy students at fifth, eighth and ninth grades were randomly selected and divided to the experimental and control groups. Students at the experimental group were under chess instruction for six months. The results of MMSL questionnaire showed that,at subscales of Expectancy and Metacognitive strategies, the score of students in the experimental group was significantly higher than the control group; but in subscales of value, cognitive strategies and non-informational resource there was no significant difference. In addition, at the subscale of Affect which is related to test anxiety, the score of students in the control group was significantly higher than the experimental group. The interviews analyze showed that firstly, students of experimental group at the three grades, were more successful than students of control group in problem solving and in general, achieved 16.9% more progress than control group. Secondly, errors mean of experimental group,  in three grades, was less than control group. Thirdly, interviews analyze showed that various problems create different models of errors.