The concept of geometric shapes: an psychological, epistemological and teaching approach

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Published: Dec 2, 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/enedim.15029
Keywords:
geometric shapes epistemological approach
Χρήστος Μαρκόπουλος (Christos Markopoulos)
Πανεπιστήμιο Πατρών
Abstract

This paper is part of a research project on the study of children’s thinking about geometrical solids in the context of dynamic transformation. This research study aims to investigate the role of a dynamic environment in the development of children’s conceptions of geometrical solids. .The main focus is to explore how a number of tasks based on the dynamic transformation of geometrical solids were functioned in a mathematics classroom. Furthermore, the role that the dynamic transformations can play in the creation of a learning environment is explored. That environment aims to the development of children’s ability to focus on the solid’s properties and build relationships between these properties and finally, between the different solids. The present study aims to form the theoretical framework which considered as necessary for the creation of the dynamic learning environment. In particular, three perspectives of the theoretical framework are distinguished: The cognitive perspective, the epistemological analysis of the concept of geometrical solid and the teaching perspective. The cognitive perspective includes a review about the way that students conceive the concept of geometrical solid. The epistemological perspective contributes to the investigation and the indication of the several aspects of this particular concept. Finally, the teaching perspective sets the necessary attributes of the learning environment. This particular framework of the study of the concept of geometrical solid constitutes the base of the dynamic learning environment. The data that are presented in this study come from a classroom teaching experiment in one primary school classrooms of the 6th grade. The issues that emerged from the analysis of the classroom teaching experiment support the assumption that the formation of the dynamic learning environment contributes to the development of students’ geometrical thinking concerning the concept of the geometrical solid.

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Author Biography
Χρήστος Μαρκόπουλος (Christos Markopoulos), Πανεπιστήμιο Πατρών
Ass. Professor
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