Mathematics plays a key role in bolstering a country’s knowledge economy. Australia’s knowledge economy is negatively affected by the underachievement of Australian school students in geometry. Research indicates a continuing decline in student performance in geometry and a distinct lack of geometrical knowledge and understanding on the part of students and teachers. To address this issue a theory of success in geometry that focussed on background variables and attitude, was developed. In the theory it was hypothesised that success in geometry can be understood in terms of predictor variables and that attitude mediates the effects of the variables on success in geometry. A model of success in geometry was developed to systematically determine the relationships of the variables. Trainee teachers from the University of Western Sydney (n = 224) participated in the survey. Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis the use of one or two attitude scales was determined as were the items in the scales. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) the relationships between the background factors (age, education, gender, left/right brain preference) on success in geometry (van Hiele level) mediated by attitude were determined. The evidence, however, suggests that attitude is not only correlated with the measures of success in geometry (van Hiele levels) but that it may also be a predictor of success in geometry. It was also hypothesised that attitude was composed of three analytically distinct factors (affective, cognitive and behavioural). The evidence suggests that this hypothesis cannot be rejected. This is an important finding as previous research has not been empirically able to distinguish these factors. In order to improve the success of Australian school students in geometry and assist teachers to succeed and consequently improve Australia’s knowledge economy, the present research indicates that: all trainee teachers should have their van Hiele level of geometry understanding determined; appropriate geometry courses should be a mandatory part of the curriculum for all pre-service teachers whose van Hiele level is less than three; all trainee teachers should have a van Hiele level of three or four before they commence teaching; appropriate changes to the curriculum of trainee teachers should be made so that their stored general evaluative process produces a positive attitude to geometry, especially in female students; school students who intend to pursue a teaching career should complete mathematics courses with a geometry content. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Orientador: José Carlos Miguel / Banca: Nelson Antonio Pirola / Banca: Dagoberto Buim Arena / Resumo: Esta pesquisa tem como objeto de análise o Ensino da Geometria no Ciclo II do Ensino Fundamental e algumas implicações políticas pedagógicas que cercam este tema. Trabalho realizado inicialmente em duas salas de 5ª séries de uma Escola Pública Estadual, de um pequeno município às margens do Rio Tietê, na qual um grupo de 20 alunos e seus conhecimentos geométricos, foram o foco inicial desta investigação. Os alunos com idades entre dez e doze anos, pertencentes cada dez, respectivamente, a uma das duas classes de 5ª séries do período da manhã, tendo dois respectivos professores de Matemática, de metodologia e crenças pedagógicas diferentes: a construtivista e a tradicional, que nos levaram a realizar um total de 200 atividades - cada aluno foi avaliado com dez atividades que contemplam fazeres geométricos, pertinentes à Grade Curricular de Matemática. Estas foram analisadas de maneira qualitativa, e independente da crença metodológica do professor, na sua maioria os alunos apresentaram frágil e preocupante desempenho quanto aos conhecimentos geométricos. Tais resultados nos levam a ampliar os questionamentos, assim como os grupos pesquisados, que se completa com 20 professores de Matemática, que respondem a 140 questões sobre o objeto de estudo e seu questionamento principal, o pensamentos dos 2 Professores responsáveis pelas duas 5ª séries envolvidas na pesquisa, e depoimentos de 4 PCOPs - Professores Coordenadores de Matemática de 4 Oficinas Pedagógicas de Diretorias de Ensino do interior paulista. No universo de respostas analisadas, à luz de uma metodologia qualitativa, surgem apontamentos para a situação caótica do Ensino da Geometria. Quanto à categoria docente, as conseqüências de grande carência de conteúdos geométricos na sua Formação Acadêmica e outros que implicam diretamente na produção de conhecimentos matemáticos... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The object of this study is the teaching of Geometry in junior high school and the political and pedagogical implications connected to the theme. I conducted this research in two fifth grade classrooms from a public school of a small town located on the bank of the Tietê River. I initially surveyed a group of 20 students and their knowledge of Geometry. I chose 10 students from each class, ages ranging from 10 to 12 years old, who studied in the morning and had two different teachers whose approaches to the teaching of Geometry was diverse: one followed the traditional model whereas the other adopts Constructivism. With the students, we did 200 activities involving the knowledge of Geometry. Each student performed ten tasks about the syllabus of Geometry. Such tasks were qualitatively analyzed. Throughout the research, both my questionings and the groups enlarged and 20 Math teachers answered 140 questions about my object of study and its main questionings. Also answering the questions, the two teachers responsible for the classes as well as four teachers from different regional Boards of Education. When their answers were analyzed I noticed a lack of geometrical knowledge in their academic formation. Besides this scarce knowledge of the VAN HIELE theoretical bases of the subject they teach, other factors influence performance in class, such as the low salaries they get. These will have damaging effects on the students' learning process and led me to conclude that we need more solid educational policies, capable of transforming this scenario. The study also shows a documental analysis of more than three decades of syllabuses elaborated by the State Board of Education of the state of São Paulo and ho the teaching of Geometry was carelessly handled. / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:24:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-08-24Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:52:49Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 veronese_pcf_me_mar.pdf: 1927091 bytes, checksum: 69ba6b8cc05d6f0dd527c178c70ac5b3 (MD5) / Esta pesquisa tem como objeto de análise o Ensino da Geometria no Ciclo II do Ensino Fundamental e algumas implicações políticas pedagógicas que cercam este tema. Trabalho realizado inicialmente em duas salas de 5ª séries de uma Escola Pública Estadual, de um pequeno município às margens do Rio Tietê, na qual um grupo de 20 alunos e seus conhecimentos geométricos, foram o foco inicial desta investigação. Os alunos com idades entre dez e doze anos, pertencentes cada dez, respectivamente, a uma das duas classes de 5ª séries do período da manhã, tendo dois respectivos professores de Matemática, de metodologia e crenças pedagógicas diferentes: a construtivista e a tradicional, que nos levaram a realizar um total de 200 atividades - cada aluno foi avaliado com dez atividades que contemplam fazeres geométricos, pertinentes à Grade Curricular de Matemática. Estas foram analisadas de maneira qualitativa, e independente da crença metodológica do professor, na sua maioria os alunos apresentaram frágil e preocupante desempenho quanto aos conhecimentos geométricos. Tais resultados nos levam a ampliar os questionamentos, assim como os grupos pesquisados, que se completa com 20 professores de Matemática, que respondem a 140 questões sobre o objeto de estudo e seu questionamento principal, o pensamentos dos 2 Professores responsáveis pelas duas 5ª séries envolvidas na pesquisa, e depoimentos de 4 PCOPs – Professores Coordenadores de Matemática de 4 Oficinas Pedagógicas de Diretorias de Ensino do interior paulista. No universo de respostas analisadas, à luz de uma metodologia qualitativa, surgem apontamentos para a situação caótica do Ensino da Geometria. Quanto à categoria docente, as conseqüências de grande carência de conteúdos geométricos na sua Formação Acadêmica e outros que implicam diretamente na produção de conhecimentos matemáticos... / The object of this study is the teaching of Geometry in junior high school and the political and pedagogical implications connected to the theme. I conducted this research in two fifth grade classrooms from a public school of a small town located on the bank of the Tietê River. I initially surveyed a group of 20 students and their knowledge of Geometry. I chose 10 students from each class, ages ranging from 10 to 12 years old, who studied in the morning and had two different teachers whose approaches to the teaching of Geometry was diverse: one followed the traditional model whereas the other adopts Constructivism. With the students, we did 200 activities involving the knowledge of Geometry. Each student performed ten tasks about the syllabus of Geometry. Such tasks were qualitatively analyzed. Throughout the research, both my questionings and the groups enlarged and 20 Math teachers answered 140 questions about my object of study and its main questionings. Also answering the questions, the two teachers responsible for the classes as well as four teachers from different regional Boards of Education. When their answers were analyzed I noticed a lack of geometrical knowledge in their academic formation. Besides this scarce knowledge of the VAN HIELE theoretical bases of the subject they teach, other factors influence performance in class, such as the low salaries they get. These will have damaging effects on the students’ learning process and led me to conclude that we need more solid educational policies, capable of transforming this scenario. The study also shows a documental analysis of more than three decades of syllabuses elaborated by the State Board of Education of the state of São Paulo and ho the teaching of Geometry was carelessly handled.