Symmetry and rotation skills of prospective elementary mathematics teachers

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the skills and deficiencies of senior university students enrolled in a mathematics education program with the concepts of symmetry and rotation of geometric figures. The study was conducted with 32 prospective teachers in the Department of Education at a public university located in Western Turkey. This descriptive study was designed with a case study. A structured interview technique was used for data collection. A measurement tool consisting of 12 drawing problems testing symmetry (5 problems) and rotation (7 problems) ability was used in the study. Descriptive statistical methods were used for data analysis. The drawings were analyzed individually, and the students' mistakes and deficiencies were categorized. According to the results of the study, prospective elementary mathematics teachers did not have difficulty in drawing the symmetry of an object or in determining the symmetry axis. However, while they could rotate the figure when a rotation axis was provided, they failed to rotate it in the absence of an axis. In addition, prospective elementary mathematics teachers generally failed to find the center of the given rotated figures. The results of the present study were consistent with results in the literature.Keywords: Symmetry skill, rotation skill, prospective elementary mathematics teacher. ResumenEl objetivo de este estudio fue investigar las habilidades y dificultades de los estudiantes de un curso de formación de profesores de matemáticas en relación con los conceptos de simetría y rotación de figuras geométricas. El estudio se llevó a cabo con 32 futuros profesores en un departamento de educación de una universidad pública ubicada en el oeste de Turquía. Éste es un estudio descriptivo que está diseñado con un estudio de caso. Para la recopilación de los datos se aplicó una técnica de entrevista estructurada. En el estudio se utilizó una herramienta de medición consistente de doce problemas de dibujo, cinco sobre la capacidad en la simetría y siete en la de rotación. Para el análisis de datos se emplearon métodos de estadística descriptiva. Los dibujos fueron analizados de forma individual y se clasificaron los errores y las deficiencias de los estudiantes. De acuerdo con los resultados del estudio, los futuros profesores de matemáticas elementales no tuvieron dificultad en dibujar la simetría de un objeto o en hallar el eje de simetría. Sin embargo, mientras que ellos * A preliminary and short version of this paper was presented at the 10 th Mathematics Symposium on 21-23 September 2011, İstanbul, Turkey. Palabras clave: Habilidad para la Simetría; habilidad para rotar; futuro profesor de matemáticas elementales.

Explanations of prospective middle school mathematics teachers for potential misconceptions on the concept of symmetry

“…Thus, such an understanding may have led the participants to think shapes as a whole. The study by Turgut, Yenilmez & Anapa (2014) concluded that the prospective teachers had difficulty in finding the axis of symmetry and determining whether the given two objects are symmetrical or not. It may be argued that the prospective teachers in this study experienced some similar difficulties and fell into misconception.…”

Examining Pre-Service Science Teachers Number and Space Relation Skills

“…The results of the study support the idea of this research by saying that the symmetrical structures can be used to develop the skills in lower grades. Finally, Turgut, Yenilmez and Anapa, (2014) found that 32 pre-service Turkish elementary mathematics teachers can determine the symmetry axis when a rotation axis was provided but failed in case of absence of an axis.…”

Dönüşüm Geometrisi Alt Öğrenme Alanındaki Program Değişikliğinin Uygunluğunun Öğretmenler Açısından İncelenmesi

“…Alanyazında sadece öğrencilerin değil öğretmen ve öğretmen adaylarının dönüşümler konusunda bilgi düzeylerinin yetersiz olduğunu belirten çalışmalar da (Ada & Kurtuluş, 2010;Al-Khateeb, 2016;Aktaş & Ünlü, 2017;Desmond, 1997;Gürbüz & Durmuş, 2009;Hacısalihoğlu-Karadeniz, Baran, Bozkuş & Gündüz, 2015;Harper, 2002;Kambilombilo & Sakala, 2015;Law, 1991;Mbusi, 2016;Son, 2006;Turgut, Yenilmez & Anapa, 2014) -Dönmede şekil üzerindeki her bir noktanın bir nokta etrafında belirli bir açıyla saat veya tersi yönünde dönüşüme tabi olduğunu ve şekil ile görüntüsünün eş olduğunu keşfeder.…”