Elementary school children’s perceptions of geometry classroom as a psychosocial learning environment: an analysis of participant-produced drawings

Abstract

A growing literature points to the importance of classroom social climate as one of the determinants of students’ academic performance and motivation, engagement, participation, and attitude towards school and teaching. However, little attention is given to social climate in the context of the mathematics classroom as a learning environment, with studies providing only insights into its specific aspects. The present study addressed these problems by investigating classroom social climate in the context of geometry lessons in Grades 3–6 with the goal of providing comprehensive insight into students’ perceptions of their geometry classroom climate by identifying its psychosocial aspects. In total, 114 primary-grade students participated in the qualitative cross-sectional study. To capture students’ perceptions of their geometry classroom, participant-produced drawings were used as a research method. These were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The results reflected a teacher-centered image of a geometry learning environment which was driven by frontal work with a broad spectrum of participatory activities, but with very little student–student communication. Additionally, the lesson goals were transparent which were supported by using different teaching tools and materials. Lastly, the lessons were organized in an orderly manner. The findings offer potential opportunities for educators to plan and implement effective pedagogical strategies at the university that would reflect the teaching practices conducive to geometry learning. Likewise, the research method can be used in classroom learning environments as a tool to promote a dialogue between students and their teachers.

Construction of Measurement and Investigation of the Role of Classroom Climate on Students' Knowledge and Attitudes in the Learning Process

“…Teachers must pay attention to this aspect in creating an open classroom climate and encouraging students to be active. This finding is in accordance with the theory which states that increasing competence is very dependent on classroom climate and the creation of this classroom climate does not only come from teacher competence but is also influenced by aspects of gender, knowledge and student abilities (Bayram Özdemir & Özdemir, 2020;Kuzle, 2023;McLure et al, 2022). Thus, the quality of the classroom climate depends greatly on the composition of students in the class and individual characteristics.…”

Strategi Pmr Guna Meningkatkan Keterampilan Memecahkan Masalah pada Materi Geometri di Sekolah Dasar

“…Pada prinsipnya, konsep geometri memiliki sifat yang abstrak, namun konsep tersebut dapat diilustrasikan dan diwujudkan secara konkret. Geometri memiliki keterkaitan yang erat dengan kehidupan sehari-hari peserta didik, hal ini dapat menarik minat mereka dan memberikan kesempatan untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan, keterampilan geometri, serta kemampuan memecahkan masalah (Kuzle, 2023). Oleh karena itu, penting bagi peserta didik untuk mempelajari materi geometri karena dapat meningkatkan kemampuan mereka dalam memecahkan masalah dan mengubah ide-ide matematika menjadi bentuk visual yang lebih konkret (Rosdiana.…”

Depicting classroom social climate: Using drawings to examine primary students’ perceptions of geometry teaching and learning practices

“…In this section, we first present the construct of classroom social climate by contemplating its different models, with a special focus on the model of Kuzle andGlasnović Gracin (2019, 2021). This is then followed by research on students' perceptions of mathematics teaching and learning practices.…”

“…Furthermore, due to somewhat simplified conceptualization of the classroom social climate, it reflected only the above mentioned five aspects and thus, insufficient in terms of gaining a thorough insight into the classroom social climate. Kuzle andGlasnović Gracin (2019, 2021) developed a new model of classroom social climate based on the existing classroom climate models with the goal of better understanding structure, functions, and processes in a mathematics classroom. The model has proven to be viable when using participant-produced drawings, and appropriate to characterize different aspects of classroom social climate already when working with young students (8 years of age and older) (Kuzle, 2022).…”

“…The goal of the study presented in this paper is to provide diverse school students' perceptions of teaching and learning in the context of school mathematics by using the classroom social climate model developed specially for primary-grade students' perceptions of it (Kuzle & Glasnović Gracin, 2019, 2021. The students' pictorial and verbal reflections (so called participantproduced drawings (Kearney & Hyle, 2004) provide valuable and rich insights into perceived classroom experiences (e.g., core opinions about mathematics, mathematics teaching and learning, emotions, attitudes) (Glasnović Gracin & Kuzle, 2018;Kuzle, 2022;Kuzle & Glasnović Gracin, 2021;Pehkonen et al, 2016). In the following section, the above-mentioned model of classroom social climate as well as the literature that informed this study are discussed.…”