middle school mathematics teachers' problems in teaching transformational geometry and their ...

104 Pages·2013·1.25 MB·English

MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’
PROBLEMS IN TEACHING TRANSFORMATIONAL
GEOMETRY AND THEIR SUGGESSTIONS FOR THE
SOLUTION OF THESE PROBLEMS

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
OF
MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

BY

SERAP İLASLAN

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR
THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE
IN
THE DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY SCIENCE AND
MATHEMATICS EDUCATION

FEBRUARY 2013
Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences

Prof. Dr. Meliha ALTUNIŞIK
Director

I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of
Master of Science.

Prof. Dr. Jale ÇAKIROĞLU
Head of Department

This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully
adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science.

Prof. Dr. Safure BULUT Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erdinç ÇAKIROĞLU
Co-Supervisor Supervisor

Examining Committee Members
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mine IŞIKSAL BOSTAN (METU, ELE)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erdinç ÇAKIROĞLU (METU, ELE)
Prof. Dr. Safure BULUT (METU, SSME)
Assist. Prof. Dr. Çiğdem HASER (METU, ELE)
Assist. Prof. Dr. Didem AKYÜZ (METU, ELE)
I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and
presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare
that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced
all material and results that are not original to this work.

Name, Last name: Serap İLASLAN
Signature:
iii
ABSTRACT
MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ PROBLEMS
IN TEACHING TRANSFORMATIONAL GEOMETRY
AND THEIR SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SOLUTIONS OF THESE PROBLEMS
İlaslan, Serap
M.S., Department of Elementary Science and Mathematics Education
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erdinç ÇAKIROĞLU
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Safure BULUT
February 2013, 90 pages
The purpose of this study was to reveal and define the problems middle school
mathematics teachers experienced in applying transformational geometry and the
solutions they proposed to overcome these problems. A total of six elementary
mathematics teachers (grades 5-8) in Ankara participated in the study. The data were
collected by means of one-to-one interviews with the participants.
The findings indicated that the participants’ problems divided into three parts. These
problems were problems arising from teachers, problems arising from students and
problems arising from resources. The participants expressed challenges in teaching
due to lack of materials, textbooks, and visualization ability of teachers, classroom
size, and time. According to the findings, rotation was the most problematic issue.
The participants claimed insufficient technological materials were the reason of this
problem. Participants did not feel confidence enough to implement transformational
geometry especially in rotation since they lacked adequate training and support. The
participants claimed that the Ministry’s support should be increased, concrete and
iv
technological materials should be sufficient in number, and the duration of
transformational geometry lesson should be increased.
Keywords: Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ Problems, Transformational
Geometry, Teachers’ Solutions
v
ÖZ
ORTAOKUL MATEMATİK ÖĞRETMENLERİNİN
DÖNÜŞÜM GEOMETRİSİ ÖĞRETİMİNDE YAŞADIKLARI PROBLEMLER
VE BU SORUNLARIN ÇÖZÜMÜ İÇİN ÖNERİLERİ
İlaslan, Serap
Yüksek Lisans, İlkögretim Fen ve Matematik Alanları Egitimi Bölümü
Tez Yöneticisi: Doc.Dr. Erdinç ÇAKIROĞLU
Ortak Tez Yöneticisi: Prof. Dr. Safure BULUT
Şubat 2013, 90 sayfa
Bu araştırmanın amacı, dönüşüm geometrisinin uygulanması sırasında orta okul
matematik öğretmenlerinin yaşadığı problemleri ve bu problemleri çözme yollarını
belirlemek ve betimlemektir. Ankara ilinde görev yapmakta olan toplam 6 ortaokul
matematik öğretmeni çalışmaya katılmışlardır. Bu çalışmanın verileri katılımcılarla
birebir görüşme yoluyla toplanmıştır.
Bulgular katılımcı ögretmenlerin problemlerinin üçe ayrıldığını göstermiştir. Bu
problemler öğretmenden kaynaklanan sorunlar, öğrenciden kaynaklanan sorunlar ve
kullanılan kaynaklardan oluşan sorunlar. Katılımcılar materyal eksikliği (özellikle
teknolojik materyaller), ders kitabı yetersizligi, görselleştirme yetenegi eksikliği,
fiziksel mekânların yetersizliği ve zaman yetersizliği sebebiyle öğretim sırasında
zorlandıklarını ifade etmişlerdir. Araştırmanın bulgularına göre en çok sorun yaşanan
konu dönme konusudur. Bu sorunun sebebinin sınıflardaki teknoloji eksikliği
olduğunu ifade etmişlerdir. Ögretmenler dönüşüm geometrisinin uygulanması ile
ilgili uygun eğitim ve destegi almadıkları için kendilerini dönüşüm geometrisini
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uygulama konusunda yeterli hissetmemişlerdir. Katılımcılar Bakanlığın desteğinin
arttırılmasını, geometri materyallerinin yeterli sayıda olmasını, okullardaki fiziksel
şartların iyileştirilmesini ve dönüşüm geometrisi ders saati sayısının arttırılmasını
önermişlerdir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Ortaokul Matematik Öğretmenlerinin Sorunları, Dönüşüm
Geometrisi, Öğretmen Çözümleri
vii
To My Family
viii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to take this opportunity to thank several people who have provided their
help and encouragement throughout this study.
First, I want to thank my thesis supervisors Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erdinç ÇAKIROĞLU
and Prof. Dr. Safure BULUT for their wisdom, guidance, and belief in me. They
always challenged me to do my best, and encouraged me in every step of my thesis.
Thanks for their great efforts.
I am also thankful to Seher AVCU and Marriam KASSIMALİ for their help, support,
encouragement, suggestions and comments. Without your close friendship,
inspiration, help, suggestions and support, this thesis would not have been written.
Thanks for being such good friend.
I am forever grateful to my mother, Sabiha İLASLAN, my father, İsrafil İLASLAN
and my brothers Recep İLASLAN and İsmail İLASLAN for their support throughout
my life.
I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the teachers who participated to
the study. Thank you all very much.
ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PLAGIARISM..............................................................................................................iii
ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................iv
ÖZ.................................................................................................................................vi
DEDICATION............................................................................................................viii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................................................................ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS...............................................................................................x
LIST OF TABLES.....................................................................................................xiii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.....................................................................................xiv
CHAPTER
1. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................1
1.1 Research Questions......................................................................................3
1.2 Significance of the Study.............................................................................3
1.3 My Motivation for the Study.......................................................................5
1.4 The definitions of Important Terms.............................................................5
2. LITERATURE REVIEW....................................................................................7
2.1 Geometry Education....................................................................................7
2.2 Transformational Geometry.........................................................................9
2.3 Transformational Geometry in the Turkish Middle School Curriculum...11
2.4 Importance of Teacher Knowledge………………....................................14
2.5. Research Studies Related to Transformational Geometry........................15
2.6. Research Studies Related to the 2005 Curriculum in Turkey……….......20
2.7. Research Studies Related to Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge and
Their Qualifications……………………………….…..……………………..22
x