th International Congress on Mathematical Education Hamburg, - July   -  EXAMINING MATHEMATICAL LITERACY OF IRANIAN ELEMENTARY STUDENTS Robabeh Afkhami Nasim Asghary Department of Mathematics, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran r_afkhami@yahoo.com nas.asghari@iauctb.ac.ir The purpose of this study is to examine Iranian students’ Mathematical Literacy (ML) in elementary schools. ML measures the students' ability to use mathematics to solve context related problems in real world. PISA describes the theoretical framework of ML so that mathematics is divided into four categories including: a)change and relationships b)space and shape c)quantity d)uncertainty and data. The categorises in this study were the same as PISA. Examinations were conducted in  and . Students included  subjects (-years old) in  and  subjects (-years old) in  that their average score of the two groups were statistically identical. The findings showed no significant differences in mathematical literacy of two groups, but students had weak performance in quantity category in comparison to the other three categories. In quantity category, students in  were significantly better than ’s. In change and relationship category, students in  were significantly better than ’s. In other two categories there weren’t significant diffrence between students in  and. Keywords: Mathematical Literacy, elementary school. INTRIDUCTION Mathematical Literacy (ML) – the ability to apply mathematics in different situations – is a goal for many educational systems in the world. The term ML for the first time has been raised officially, in the TIMSS( Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study ) in . The same term was used in PISA() (Programme for International Student Assessment). The purpose of this study was to examine mathematical literacy of fifth grade students. Mathematical Literacy Mathematical Literacy has been defined by PISA as: “an individual’s capacity to formulate, employ, and interpret mathematics in a variety of contexts. It includes reasoning mathematically and using mathematical concepts, procedures, facts, and tools to describe, explain, and predict phenomena. It assists individuals in recognising the role that mathematics plays in the world and to make the well-founded judgements and decisions needed by constructive, engaged andreflective citizens.” (OECD 1 , , p. ). This definition seems to recognise more fully the classic concerns of the discipline of mathematics, especially its more applied concerns (Evans, ) and focus on how well individuals can use their 1 - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development