The effects of van hiele's phase-based instruction using the geometer's sketchpad (GSP) on students' levels of geometric thinking

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of Van Hiele's phases of learning geometry using the Geometer's Sketchpad (GSP) on students' levels of geometric thinking. This quasi-experiment involved 94 students and two teachers. A total of 47 students were in the control group and the rest were in the treatment group.The students in the treatment group learned Form Two's Transformation topic through the Van Hiele's phases of learning using the GSP, while the students in the control group learned the same topic conventionally. Before the study started, students from both groups were given Van Hiele's Geometry Test (VHGT) to identify their initial levels of geometric thinking. The experiment took place for 6 weeks. At the end of the study, the students in both groups were given the VHGT for the second round to analyse their final levels of geometric thinking. Wilcox on-t test for the design of repeated measurement was used for the data analysis. The results found that the students in both groups showed increment in their post-VHGT as compared to the pre-VHGT. However, the students in the treatment group achieved better levels of geometric thinking compared to the students in control group (t = 34.50, p<0.05). Thus, the Van Hiele's phases of learning geometry can be applied in classrooms in order to help students achieve better level of geometric thinking. © 2013 Maxwell Scientific Organization.