Beyond teaching language: towards terminological primacy in learners' geometric conceptualisation
- Authors: Atebe, Humphrey U , Schäfer, Marc
- Date: 2010
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/140960 , vital:37932 , https://0-hdl.handle.net.wam.seals.ac.za/10520/EJC20922
- Description: This paper reports on a specific aspect of a broader geometry conceptualisation study that sought to explore and explicate learners' knowledge of basic geometric terminology in selected Nigerian and South African high schools. It is framed by the notion that students' acquisition of the correct terminology in school geometry is important for their success in the subject. The original study further aimed to determine the relationship that might exist between a learner's ability in verbal geometry terminology tasks and his/her ability in visual geometry terminology tasks. A total of 144 learners (72 each from South Africa and Nigeria) were selected for the study, using both the stratified and the fish-bowl sampling techniques. A questionnaire consisting of a sixty-item multiple-choice objective test provided the data for the study. An overall percentage mean score of 44,17% obtained in the test indicated that learners in this study had only a limited knowledge of basic geometric terminology. The Nigerian subsample in the study had a weaker understanding of basic geometric terminology than their South African counterparts. Importantly, there were high positive correlations between participants' ability in verbal geometry terminology tasks and their ability in visual geometry terminology tasks. These results are consistent with those of several earlier studies, and provide a reasonably firm basis for certain recommendations to be made.
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- Date Issued: 2010
The nature of geometry instruction and observed learning-outcomes opportunities in Nigerian and South African high schools:
- Authors: Atebe, Humphrey U , Schäfer, Marc
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/140919 , vital:37929 , DOI: 10.1080/10288457.2011.10740712
- Description: The purpose of this qualitative case study involving six secondary school teachers was to obtain insight into how geometry is taught in selected Nigerian and South African high schools. It also aimed, by making use of the van Hiele model of geometry instruction, to elucidate what possible learning opportunities observed instructional methods could offer learners in the subject. The sample comprised three mathematics teachers from Nigeria and three mathematics teachers from South Africa, all of whom were selected using purposive sampling techniques. Instructional activities in six geometry classrooms were recorded on videotape. The van Hiele learning phases provided the framework for data analysis. The findings of this study indicate that observed teaching methods in geometry classrooms in the participating schools offer learners scant opportunity to learn geometry.
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- Date Issued: 2013
“As soon as the four sides are all equal, then the angles must be 90° each”: children's misconceptions in geometry
- Authors: Atebe, Humphrey U , Schäfer, Marc
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/140983 , vital:37934 , DOI: 10.1080/10288457.2008.10740634
- Description: This study describes Nigerian and South African students' conceptual understanding in high school geometry based on the van Hiele model of geometric thinking levels. The study further highlights students' misconceptions in school geometry. Concepts of triangles and quadrilaterals were investigated among 36 mathematics learners drawn from grades 10 through 12 who participated in this study. The tasks included identifying and naming shapes, sorting of shapes, stating the properties of shapes, defining of shapes and establishing class inclusions of shapes. The results indicated that many Nigerian and South African high school learners in Grade 10, 11 and 12 hold a number of misconceptions about geometric concepts of triangles and quadrilaterals.
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- Date Issued: 2013