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http://dx.doi.org/10.7468/jksmed.2014.18.1.41

An Investigation of the Visual-Mental Capability of Pre- and In-Service Mathematics Teachers: A Tale of Two Cones and One Cube  

Barkai, Ruthi (Kibbutzim College of Education Technology and the Arts)
Patkin, Dorit (Kibbutzim College of Education Technology and the Arts)
Publication Information
Research in Mathematical Education / v.18, no.1, 2014 , pp. 41-54 More about this Journal
Abstract
This study investigated the visual-mental capability of pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers as well as academicians making a career change to mathematics teachers with regard to manipulations of two geometric shapes (from 2- to 3-dimensional). Moreover, it investigated whether there are differences between the visual-mental capability of these participant groups. Findings illustrate that most of the participants demonstrate an adequate visual capability relating to the task dealing with a cube. Conversely, very low percentage of participants manifested a visual-mental capability in a task requiring the identification of a solid resulting from rotation of a square page, whose diagonal serves as the rotation axis. The study indicates that learners' high visual view should be developed in order to enhance their visual-mental capability.
Keywords
visual geometric thinking; solid geometry; spatial thinking; pre-service and in-service mathematics teacher education; academicians making a career change to mathematics; teachers;
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Times Cited By KSCI : 1  (Citation Analysis)
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