Geometry and spatial reasoning form the foundations of learning in mathematics. However, geometry is a subject often ignored by curriculum writers and teachers until high school, leading to students lacking in critical skills in geometric reasoning. As the United States moves into a new curriculum epoch, heralding the commencement of the national…

Textbooks play an important part in teaching and learning mathematics. However, textbook research on spatial ability has so far received little attention. In this study, we investigated whether school mathematics textbooks provide enough opportunities for primary students to learn three-dimensional shapes and help them acquire spatial ability.…

The paper explores one episode from a larger study, where a multilingual student (10-year-old) described her understanding of what makes a shape 2D or 3D. Bakhtin's dialogic theory and Garfinkel's ethnomethodology inform the theoretical framework. Transcribed data of the episode is presented, which is analysed at micro-level and macro-level. The…

The relationship between spatial conceptions and students' spatial abilities is still rarely studied specifically, even though this is the basis for students to think in learning geometry. This paper aims to explore spatial abilities and the development of spatial ability theory, discusses the relationship between spatial conceptions in students'…

Spatial thinking has roles to facilitate learners to remember, understand, reason, and communicate objects and the connections among objects that are represented in space. This research aims to analyze the spatial thinking process of students in constructing new knowledge seen from the field-independent cognitive style learners based on…

This paper explores three multilingual students' (9 to 11-years-old) conceptual understanding of three-dimensional (3D) shapes as displayed through peer and classroom interactions in two New Zealand primary classes. Bakhtin's dialogic theory and Garfinkel's ethnomethodology inform the theoretical framework. The paper presents two excerpts from…

As a component of a course on geometry for preservice elementary teachers (PSTs), we derive area formulas for a variety of polygons including triangles, quadrilaterals, and both regular and irregular shapes whose areas can be measured empirically using decomposition. Decomposing a circle to justify why its area can be measured using the standard…

The Hidden Village (THV) is a motion-capture video game for investigating how physical movements foster mathematical thinking and proof practices based on principles of embodied cognition. Analysis of the interactions of students in an all-Limited English Proficiency Title 1 high school geometry classroom revealed ways simulated enactment and…

The aim of this research was to examine the effect of GeoGebra-aided REACT strategy on the understanding of geometry concepts and to investigate the interaction between learning strategy and spatial ability on the understanding of geometry concepts. This research involved 60 students of Grade 8 at a private Junior High School in Borong, province…

From random interviews of mathematics teachers, the researchers are conscious that students have difficulties in solving problems regarding compound body volume measurement. The researchers found the main factor involved in the difficulties was incomplete spatial concepts. Augmented reality (AR), which is a kind of educational technology, has been…

Research in mathematics education has established that gestures--spontaneous movements of the hand that accompany speech--are important for learning. In the present study, we examine how students use gestures to communicate with each other while proving geometric conjectures, arguing that this communication represents an example of extended…

We analyze and discuss ways in which prospective high school teachers pose and pursue questions or problems during the process of reconstructing dynamic configurations of figures given in problem statements. To what extent does the systematic use of a Dynamic Geometry System (DGS) help the participants engage in problem posing activities…

Geometry is the branch of mathematics that addresses spatial sense and geometric reasoning. Students begin to understand geometry through direct interaction with their physical world. Because it is the study of the physical attributes of the environment, geometry has relevance for every student; the world becomes a big classroom. As students see,…

"Improving Mathematics in the Early Years and Key Stage 1" reviews the best available evidence to offer five recommendations for developing the maths skills of 3-7-year olds. Recommendations include integrating maths into different activities throughout the day -- for example, at registration and snack time -- to familiarise children…

This study examined how small groups of second-grade children developed understandings of the concept of congruence while collaboratively exploring and solving problems with dynamic representations of triangles using Sketchpad on the iPad. One case study is presented to illustrate how young learners can infer geometrical relationships between…