Teacher Practices and Student Understandings in 2D Drawings of 3D Shapes

Abstract

Geometry holds a pivotal position within the realm of mathematics, yet many students struggle to grasp its concepts, posing challenges for their teachers. In the Republic of Türkiye, the Ministry of National Education has recently recommended the adoption of constructivist approaches to teach geometry. To gauge the efficacy of this instructional approach in actual classrooms, we investigated the practices of Turkish middle school mathematics teachers and their students' experiences in constructing two-dimensional drawings of three-dimensional geometrical shapes during regular lessons. The study involved four teachers from two schools and 199 students aged 12 to 14 years. Multiple data sources, including lesson observations, student worksheets and interviews with teachers and students, were utilized to gain insights into student understandings and whether the pedagogical practices they encountered were associated with this. Based on these findings, we argue that teachers may require additional support for their classrooms to transition into student-centred environments to permit students to actively engage in enriching mathematical exercises, exercise agency, and have opportunities to utilize provided manipulatives and digital tools.