The use of geoplanes in teaching and learning geometry: An experience with 4th grade elementary school students
AUTHORS
Maria Helena Martinho | mhm@ie.uminho.pt| University of Minho
Maria Helena Moreira | pg23252@alunos.uminho.pt | University of Minho
SUMMARY
This article describes part of a research project carried out in a 4th grade class of the 1st cycle of primary education, regarding the use of manipulative materials in the teaching and learning of mathematics. This qualitative research project was developed according to some characteristics of the action research methodology. Throughout the article, the results obtained in two sessions carried out around the concepts of area and perimeter using the geoboard are presented. The analysis of the sessions in question will be based on the following research questions: How was the geoboard used throughout the proposed activities? What difficulties did the students experience when solving the task using the geoboard? In general, the use of the geoboard served as a concrete and dynamic basis for the (re)construction of the concepts of area and perimeter, as well as for the development of spatial visualization skills. The most notable difficulties were in transferring the figures from the geoboard to the dotted paper and vice versa, in distinguishing between the lengths of the side and diagonal of a square formed on the geoboard, as well as in determining the measurements of the sides of a figure as being the distance between the nails of the geoboard.
KEYWORDS
geometry; geoplane; 1st cycle of Basic Education.
RELEVANT DATES
Published: 2015/06/21