Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study of three-dimensional boxes is widely regarded as a suitable topic for entry-level
geometry. In order to inform teaching and curriculum design this study takes children's intuitive
knowledge of boxes as point of departure to research the following aspects:
• the meaning children assign to boxes
• children's ability to create and manipulate mental images
• children's strategies to solve a three dimensional construction problem
• possible age and gender differences
• the role of measurement
• possible links with Van Hiele's thought levels
Revised clinical interviews were conducted with groups of six to ten children. Each child could
select an object from a set provided by the researcher and had to build a box from cardboard into
which the object could fit. The problem-solving processes were captured on video. The children's
boxes, verbal utterences and overt manipulation of the materials as well as the empirical referent
objects were analised. The researcher made use of grounded theory procedure to analise and
categorise the data.
The research indicates that young children are not necessarily aware of the shape and structural
properties of three-dimensional boxes. It is also evident that children's ability to represent
properties of shape of boxes through language, drawing and hand movements does not necessarily
indicate adequate understanding of the structural properties of boxes to enable them to build a box
from two-dimensional materials. The research further indicates that aspects of representation that
are judged to be based on lack of knowledge of conventions in a medium such as drawing, may
have deeper intuitive and conceptual roots. An alternative view of childrens spatial/geometric
thought on VanHiele level 0 is described based on their assignment of meaning to geometric
tasks. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Drie-dimensionele houers word allerweë as geskikte konteks vir aanvangsmeetkunde-onderrig
beskou. In hierdie studie word kinders se intuïtiewe begrip van alledaagse houers of bokse as
vertrekpunt gebruik om die volgende aspekte te ondersoek met die oog daarop om inligting te
bekom vir kurrikulering:
• die betekenis wat kinders aan bokse (as meetkundige objekte) toeken
• kinders se vermoë om 'n denkbeeld te skep en te manipuleer
• kinders se strategieë om 'n drie-dimensionele konstruksieprobleem op te los
• moontlike ouderdoms- en geslagsverskille
• die rol wat meting speel wanneer 'n drie-dimensionele konstruksieprobleem opgelos word
• moontlike ooreenkomste met Van Hiele-denkvlakke
'n Taakgerigte ondersoek (revised clinical interview) is met groepies van ses tot tien kinders op 'n
slag gedoen. Elke kind kon 'n voorwerp kies uit 'n versameling en moes 'n houer of boks uit
karton bou waarin die voorwerp kon pas. Die probleemoplossingsproses is met 'n videokamera
afgeneem. Die kinders se voltooide houers, taaluitinge en overte hantering van die empiriese
verwysingsvoorwerpe en die materiaal waarmee hulle gewerk het, is as data ontleed. Die navorser
het gebruik gemaak van die analitiese prosesse wat beskryf word as begronde teorie-ontwikkeling
om die data te ontleed en te kategoriseer.
Die navorsmg hat aangetoon dat jong kinders nie noodwending bewus is van die vorm- en
strukturele eienskappe van drie-dimensionele houers nie. Verder is dit duidelik dat kinders se
voorstellings van veral vormeienskappe van houers deur middel van taal, handbewegings en
tekeninge, nie impliseer dat hulle die nodige begrip van die struktuur het om so 'n houer uit tweedimensionele
materiaal te kan vervaardig nie. Die navorsing het verder aan die lig gebring dat
aspekte van kinders se ruimtelike kennis wat voorheen as aanduiding van gebrekkige kennis van
konvensies beskou is, moontlik dieper konseptuele wortels het. 'n Alternatiewe beskouing van
kinders se ruimtelik-meetkundige denke op Van Hiele Vlak 0 word ook voorgestel.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52214 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Lampen, Christine Erna |
| Contributors | Murray, J. C., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 232 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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