Investigating Pre-service Teachers’ Ability to Recognize and Classify Geometric Concepts Hierarchically

Year 2019, , 680 - 710, 13.12.2019

Zülfiye Zeybek Şimşek

https://doi.org/10.16949/turkbilmat.491564

Abstract

Geometry is not only an
essential tool to develop students’ spatial thinking, but it is also a content
strand that provides opportunities for them to develop ability to question,
analytic thinking and reasoning skills. The current educational reforms
emphasize that students should gain the ability to recognize geometric shapes
and solids as well as to classify them hierarchically from early grade levels.
In this study, the ability of pre-service mathematics teachers to recognize and
classify geometric concepts (quadrilaterals and geometric solids) was
investigated. For this purpose, a geometry questionnaire consisting of 10
open-ended questions was developed by the researcher based on an extent review
of the existing literature. As a result of the preliminary examination of the
pre-service teachers’ responses to the questionnaire items, individual
interviews were conducted with five pre-service teachers, who were thought to
have different levels of thinking. The findings of the study showed that the
vast majority of the pre-service teachers did not fully comprehend the
hierarchical classification between quadrilaterals. In addition, this study
demonstrated that pre-service teachers generally used prototype judgments to
identify geometric solids and select examples and non-examples of geometric
solids. Another finding of this study was that the pre-service teachers
identified incorrect hierarchical classification between geometric solids. The
findings of the study is discussed under the light of other studies in the
literature and the recommendations of educational reforms.

Keywords

quadrilaterals, Hierarchical classifications, geometry, geometric solids

İlköğretim Matematik Öğretmeni Adaylarının Dörtgenler ve Geometrik Cisimleri Hiyerarşik Sınıflandırma Düzeylerinin İncelenmesi

Abstract

Geometri öğrenciler için
sadece uzamsal düşünme yeteneklerini geliştirici bir araç değil, aynı zamanda
onların sorgulama, muhakeme ve ispat yeteneklerini geliştirmek için önemli
fırsatlar sunan bir öğrenme alanıdır. Güncel eğitim reformları,  öğrencilerin geometrik şekil ve cisimleri
tanıma ve özelliklerinin farkında olma becerilerinin yanı sıra, geometrik
şekilleri ve cisimleri ilişkilendirme becerilerini de erken sınıf
seviyelerinden itibaren kazanması gerektiğine vurgu yaparlar. Bu çalışmada, matematik
öğretmeni adaylarının geometrik kavramları (dörtgenler ve geometrik
cisimler)  tanıma ve bu kavramlar
arasında ilişkilendirme yapabilme düzeyleri incelenmiştir. Bu amaç çerçevesinde
araştırmacı tarafından geniş bir literatür taraması sonucunda geliştirilen 10
açık-uçlu sorudan oluşan bir geometri testi kullanılmıştır. Öğretmen
adaylarının teste verdikleri cevapların ön incelemesi sonucunda farklı düşünme
seviyelerine sahip olduğu düşünülen beş öğretmen adayı ile bireysel görüşmeler
yapılmıştır. Çalışmanın bulguları öğretmen adaylarının büyük çoğunluğunun
dörtgenlerin arasındaki hiyerarşik sınıflandırmayı tam olarak
algılayamadıklarını gösterir niteliktedir. Ayrıca bu çalışma, öğretmen
adaylarının geometrik cisimleri tanıma ve örnekler seçmede genel olarak
prototip yargıyı kullandıklarını ve prototip olmayan örnekleri seçmediklerini
kanıtlar niteliktedir.   Öğretmen
adayları geometrik cisimler arasında yanlış ilişkilendirmeler kurmaları da bu
çalışmanın bir diğer bulgusunu oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmanın bulguları
literatürde yer alan diğer çalmamalar ve eğitim reformları önerileri ışığında
tartışılmıştır.

Keywords

Dörtgenler, geometri, geometrik cisimler

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