Refugee Students' Perceptions of Mathematics: An Evaluation on Length of Stay as a Refugee and Representations

OpenAlex İngilizce

Abstract This study aims to contribute to the understanding of mathematics-related perceptions of refugee students residing in a Temporary Accommodation Centre in Türkiye. For this purpose, the perceptions of refugee students towards mathematics were compared in two separate groups according to their length of stay: the group of students residing for a shorter period of time and the group of students residing for a longer period of time in Türkiye. The results showed that the students with a shorter length of stay predominantly considered mathematics under the theme of ‘evoking negative connotations’, while those in the group of longer stay considered it mostly under the theme of ‘evoking positive connotations’. As a result, it appeared that as the length of stay of refugee students increased, so did the positive perceptions towards mathematics, and that all the students used representations from both Syrian and Turkish cultures, a situation which is important in terms of reflecting the local identities of refugee students as well as their Turkish identities.