Araştırma Makalesi

Middle School Students’ Geometric Reasoning About the Right Circular Cylinder

Cilt: 41 Sayı: 4 30 Ekim 2026
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Middle School Students’ Geometric Reasoning About the Right Circular Cylinder

Öz

This study investigates eighth-grade students’ geometric reasoning regarding right circular cylinders, focusing on the interaction between figural and conceptual components within Fischbein’s Figural Concept Theory. Twenty-five students from public middle schools participated in a case study using the Reasoning Assessment Instrument (RAI) and semi-structured interviews. The RAI included tasks on recognizing, defining, and constructing cylinder developments, while interviews provided deeper insights into students’ reasoning processes. Qualitative analysis revealed that geometric reasoning was predominantly figural. Sixteen students (64%) were figure-dominant, relying primarily on visual cues rather than conceptual properties, while only four students (16%) demonstrated potentially harmonic reasoning, integrating figural images with conceptual understanding. Five students (20%) provided insufficient data for classification. None exhibited fully harmonic reasoning. Figure-dominant students struggled to define cylinders correctly, justify classifications, and produce conceptually accurate drawings, often relying on image-based or procedural explanations. Potentially harmonic students performed better in recognition and justification tasks but still showed limitations in spatial reasoning. Notably, prototypical reasoning was less pronounced than in prior studies, suggesting flexible figural representations without full conceptual integration. This deviation from traditional literature on 2D shapes could be attributed to students' frequent daily-life exposure to 3D cylindrical objects, which potentially enhances the flexibility of their figural representations. These findings highlight that middle school students’ geometric reasoning remains predominantly under perceptual control and does not spontaneously develop conceptual understanding. Instructional implications include designing learning environments that explicitly emphasize critical properties of geometric objects while integrating visual representations to support, rather than replace, conceptual reasoning. Guided use of manipulatives and dynamic visualizations may foster harmony between figural and conceptual components, enhancing students’ ability to reason accurately about three-dimensional geometry.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Destekleyen Kurum

This study received no support from any institution or organization.

Etik Beyan

This study was conducted with the approval of the Pamukkale University Social and Human Sciences Research and Publication Ethics Committee, dated August 17, 2021, and numbered E-93803232-622.02-89178.

Kaynakça

  1. Akdemir, M., & Narlı, S. (2022). Ortaokul öğrencilerinin çokgenler konusundaki algılarının incelenmesi [Investigation of middle school students’ apprehension on polygons]. International Journal of Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey Educational Research, 4(1), 74–92. https://doi.org/10.47770/ukmead.1123023
  2. Alghadari, F., & Noor, N. A. (2021). Case of actualizing geometry knowledge in abstraction thinking level for constructing a figure. International Journal of Educational Studies in Mathematics, 8(1), 16–26. https://doi.org/10.17278/ijesim.797749
  3. Alkış Küçükaydın, M., & Gökbulut, Y. (2013). Sınıf öğretmeni adaylarının geometrik cisimlerin tanımlanması ve açılımına ilişkin kavram yanılgıları [Prospective primary teachers’ misconceptions about definitions of geometric shapes and unfolding process]. Cumhuriyet International Journal of Education, 2(1), 102–117. https://izlik.org/JA45SP68CL
  4. Altaylı, D., Konyalıoğlu, A. C., Hızarcı, S., & Kaplan, A. (2014). İlköğretim matematik öğretmen adaylarının üç boyutlu cisimlere ilişkin pedagojik alan bilgilerinin incelenmesi [Investigation of pre-service elementary mathematics teachers' pedagogical content knowledge about three-dimensional objects]. Middle Eastern & African Journal of Educational Research, 10(1), 4–24.
  5. Berenger, A. (2017). The development of geometric reasoning: Middle years students’ understanding of 2-dimensional shapes [Master’s thesis, RMIT University]. RMIT University Research Repository. https://research-repository.rmit.edu.au/articles/thesis/The_development_of_geometric_reasoning_middle_years_students_understanding_of_2-dimensional_shapes/27580089
  6. Collis, K. F., & Campbell, K. J. (1987). Mechanisms of transition in the calculation of volume during the concrete symbolic mode. In J. C. Bergeron, N. Herscovics, & C. Kieran (Eds.), Proceedings of the Eleventh International Conference of the Psychology of Mathematics Education (Vol. 3, pp. 292–298). PME.
  7. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage.
  8. Çulhan, F., & Çontay, E. G. (2023). 8. sınıf öğrencilerinin geometrik düşünme düzeylerinin söylemsel açıdan incelenmesi [Examination of the 8th grade students' geometric thinking levels discursively]. The Journal of Turkish Educational Sciences, 21(3), 1226–1256. https://doi.org/10.37217/tebd.1205928

Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil

İngilizce

Konular

İlköğretim, Sosyal ve Beşeri Bilimler Eğitimi (Ekonomi, İşletme ve Yönetim Hariç), Eğitim Üzerine Çalışmalar (Diğer)

Bölüm

Araştırma Makalesi

Yayımlanma Tarihi

30 Ekim 2026

Gönderilme Tarihi

25 Aralık 2025

Kabul Tarihi

15 Ekim 2026

Yayımlandığı Sayı

Yıl 2026 Cilt: 41 Sayı: 4

Kaynak Göster

APA
Ermeç Çontay, E. G., & Öznur, A. N. (2026). Middle School Students’ Geometric Reasoning About the Right Circular Cylinder. Hacettepe University Journal of Education, 41(4), 918-937. https://doi.org/10.16986/hunefd.1848787
AMA
1.Ermeç Çontay EG, Öznur AN. Middle School Students’ Geometric Reasoning About the Right Circular Cylinder. Hacettepe University Journal of Education. 2026;41(4):918-937. doi:10.16986/hunefd.1848787
Chicago
Ermeç Çontay, Emine Gaye, ve Ayşe Nur Öznur. 2026. “Middle School Students’ Geometric Reasoning About the Right Circular Cylinder”. Hacettepe University Journal of Education 41 (4): 918-37. https://doi.org/10.16986/hunefd.1848787.
EndNote
Ermeç Çontay EG, Öznur AN (01 Ekim 2026) Middle School Students’ Geometric Reasoning About the Right Circular Cylinder. Hacettepe University Journal of Education 41 4 918–937.
IEEE
[1]E. G. Ermeç Çontay ve A. N. Öznur, “Middle School Students’ Geometric Reasoning About the Right Circular Cylinder”, Hacettepe University Journal of Education, c. 41, sy 4, ss. 918–937, Eki. 2026, doi: 10.16986/hunefd.1848787.
ISNAD
Ermeç Çontay, Emine Gaye - Öznur, Ayşe Nur. “Middle School Students’ Geometric Reasoning About the Right Circular Cylinder”. Hacettepe University Journal of Education 41/4 (01 Ekim 2026): 918-937. https://doi.org/10.16986/hunefd.1848787.
JAMA
1.Ermeç Çontay EG, Öznur AN. Middle School Students’ Geometric Reasoning About the Right Circular Cylinder. Hacettepe University Journal of Education. 2026;41:918–937.
MLA
Ermeç Çontay, Emine Gaye, ve Ayşe Nur Öznur. “Middle School Students’ Geometric Reasoning About the Right Circular Cylinder”. Hacettepe University Journal of Education, c. 41, sy 4, Ekim 2026, ss. 918-37, doi:10.16986/hunefd.1848787.
Vancouver
1.Emine Gaye Ermeç Çontay, Ayşe Nur Öznur. Middle School Students’ Geometric Reasoning About the Right Circular Cylinder. Hacettepe University Journal of Education. 01 Ekim 2026;41(4):918-37. doi:10.16986/hunefd.1848787