• Education of Primary School Mathematics
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.247-264
• /
• 2021

The area of a trapezoid is an important concept to develop mathematical thinking and competency, but many students tend to understand the formula for the area of a trapezoid instrumentally. A clue to solving these problems could be found in Dienes' theory of learning mathematics and Watson and Mason' concept of example spaces. The purpose of this study is to obtain implications for the teaching and learning of the area of the trapezoid. This study analyzed the example spaces constructed by students in learning the area of a trapezoid based on Dienes' theory of learning mathematics. As a result of the analysis, the example spaces for each stage of math learning constructed by the students were a trapezoidal variation example spaces in the play stage, a common representation example spaces in the comparison-representation stage, and a trapezoidal area formula example spaces in the symbolization-formalization stage. The type, generation, extent, and relevance of examples constituting example spaces were analyzed, and the structure of the example spaces was presented as a map. This study also analyzed general examples, special examples, conventional examples of example spaces, and discussed how to utilize examples and example spaces in teaching and learning the area of a trapezoid. Through this study, it was found that it is appropriate to apply Dienes' theory of learning mathematics to learning the are of a trapezoid, and this study can be a model for learning the area of the trapezoid.

• East Asian mathematical journal
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.167-188
• /
• 2015

Formula for the area of a trapezoid is an educational material that can handle algebraic and geometric perspectives simultaneously. In this note, we will make up the expression equivalent algebraically to the formula for the area of a trapezoid, and deal with the conversion of a geometric point of view, in algebraic terms of translating and interpreting the expression geometrically. As a result, the geometric conversion model, the first algebraic model, the second algebraic model are obtained. Therefore, this problem is a good material to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the algebraic and geometric perspectives and to improve the mathematical insight through complementary activity. In addition, these activities can be used as material for enrichment and gifted education, because it helps cultivate a rich perspective on diverse and creative thinking and mathematical concepts.

• School Mathematics
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.327-339
• /
• 2006

In this study, a teaching units for teaching and learning of secondary preservice teachers' mathematising is designed, focusing on reinvention of Bretschneider's formula. preservice teachers can obtain the following through this teaching units. First, preservice teachers can experience mathematising which invent a noumenon which organize a phenomenon, They can make an experience to invent Bretscheider's formula as if they invent mathematics really. Second, preservice teachers can understand one of the mechanisms of mathematics knowledge invention. As they reinvent Brahmagupta's formula and Bretschneider's formula, they understand a mechanism that new knowledge is invented Iron already known knowledge by analogy. Third, preservice teachers can understand connection between school mathematics and academic mathematics. They can understand how the school mathematics can connect academic mathematics, through the relation between the school mathematics like formulas for calculating areas of rectangle, square, rhombus, parallelogram, trapezoid and Heron's formula, and academic mathematics like Brahmagupta's formula and Bretschneider's formula.