The Effect of the Cognitive Apprenticeship Strategy on Adaptive Thinking in Mathematics among Fourth Scientific Grade Students

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of the Cognitive Apprenticeship Strategy on the adaptive thinking of fourth-grade scientific students in Mathematics. To achieve this objective, the study population comprised fourth-grade scientific male students enrolled in public morning preparatory and secondary schools affiliated with the General Directorate of Education in Kirkuk Governorate. The researcher purposively selected Al-Shaheed Abdullah Abdul Rahman Preparatory School for Boys to serve as the experimental setting.

The study sample consisted of (82) students, determined after statistically excluding repeating students to control for the variable of prior knowledge. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups: an experimental group of (42) students taught using the phases of the Cognitive Apprenticeship Strategy, and a control group of (40) students taught the same content via the conventional method. Statistical equivalence between the two groups was established across several variables, including chronological age, previous mathematics achievement (third intermediate grade), and general intelligence quotient.

To measure the dependent variable, the researcher developed an Adaptive Thinking Test comprising (18) objective multiple-choice items. These items were evenly distributed across six sub-skills: Mental Flexibility, Continuous Learning, Decision-Making, Critical Thinking, Immediate Response, and Problem-Solving Creativity. The instrument underwent expert evaluation to ensure face validity, with further statistical analyses confirming acceptable item discrimination and high reliability.

The field experiment was conducted during the second semester of the academic year (2025-2026). Following the post-test administration, data collection, and statistical processing, the findings revealed the following:

1.     A statistically significant difference exists at the (0.05) level between the mean scores of the two groups in the overall Adaptive Thinking Test, favoring the experimental group taught via the Cognitive Apprenticeship Strategy.

2.     The experimental group demonstrated statistical superiority in five adaptive thinking sub-skills (Mental Flexibility, Decision-Making, Critical Thinking, Immediate Response, and Problem-Solving Creativity). Conversely, no statistically significant difference was observed in the "Continuous Learning" skill compared to the conventional method.

In light of these findings, the researcher drew several conclusions and proposed a set of pedagogical recommendations and suggestions for future research.