Students’ understanding of axial and central symmetry
The paper focuses on students’ understanding of the concepts of axial and central symmetries in a plane. Attention is paid to whether students of various ages identify a non-model of an axially symmetrical figure, know that a line segment has two axes of symmetry and a circle has an infinite number...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
2021-03-01
|
| Series: | Journal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.eriesjournal.com/index.php/eries/article/view/405 |
| _version_ | 1818734095991046144 |
|---|---|
| author | Vlasta Moravcová Jarmila Robová Jana Hromadová Zdeněk Halas |
| author_facet | Vlasta Moravcová Jarmila Robová Jana Hromadová Zdeněk Halas |
| author_sort | Vlasta Moravcová |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The paper focuses on students’ understanding of the concepts of axial and central symmetries in a plane. Attention is paid to whether students of various ages identify a non-model of an axially symmetrical figure, know that a line segment has two axes of symmetry and a circle has an infinite number of symmetry axes, and are able to construct an image of a given figure in central symmetry. The results presented here were obtained by a quantitative analysis of tests given to nearly 1,500 Czech students, including pre-service mathematics teachers. The paper presents the statistics of the students’ answers, discusses the students’ thought processes and presents some of the students’ original solutions. The data obtained are also analysed with regard to gender differences and to the type of school that students attend. The results show that students have two principal misconceptions: that a rhomboid is an axially symmetrical figure and that a line segment has just one axis of symmetry. Moreover, many of the tested students confused axial and central symmetry. Finally, the possible causes of these errors are considered and recommendations for preventing these errors are given. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T23:59:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-52d8dcf86b5a4862941c0b29bc871b79 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2336-2375 1803-1617 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T23:59:55Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Czech University of Life Sciences Prague |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-52d8dcf86b5a4862941c0b29bc871b792022-12-21T21:27:59ZengCzech University of Life Sciences PragueJournal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science2336-23751803-16172021-03-01141284010.7160/eriesj.2021.140103Students’ understanding of axial and central symmetryVlasta Moravcová0Jarmila Robová1Jana Hromadová2Zdeněk Halas3Department of Mathematics Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles UniversityDepartment of Mathematics Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles UniversityDepartment of Mathematics Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles UniversityDepartment of Mathematics Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles UniversityThe paper focuses on students’ understanding of the concepts of axial and central symmetries in a plane. Attention is paid to whether students of various ages identify a non-model of an axially symmetrical figure, know that a line segment has two axes of symmetry and a circle has an infinite number of symmetry axes, and are able to construct an image of a given figure in central symmetry. The results presented here were obtained by a quantitative analysis of tests given to nearly 1,500 Czech students, including pre-service mathematics teachers. The paper presents the statistics of the students’ answers, discusses the students’ thought processes and presents some of the students’ original solutions. The data obtained are also analysed with regard to gender differences and to the type of school that students attend. The results show that students have two principal misconceptions: that a rhomboid is an axially symmetrical figure and that a line segment has just one axis of symmetry. Moreover, many of the tested students confused axial and central symmetry. Finally, the possible causes of these errors are considered and recommendations for preventing these errors are given.https://www.eriesjournal.com/index.php/eries/article/view/405axial symmetrycentral symmetrycirclegeometrical conceptsline segmentrhomboid |
| spellingShingle | Vlasta Moravcová Jarmila Robová Jana Hromadová Zdeněk Halas Students’ understanding of axial and central symmetry Journal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science axial symmetry central symmetry circle geometrical concepts line segment rhomboid |
| title | Students’ understanding of axial and central symmetry |
| title_full | Students’ understanding of axial and central symmetry |
| title_fullStr | Students’ understanding of axial and central symmetry |
| title_full_unstemmed | Students’ understanding of axial and central symmetry |
| title_short | Students’ understanding of axial and central symmetry |
| title_sort | students understanding of axial and central symmetry |
| topic | axial symmetry central symmetry circle geometrical concepts line segment rhomboid |
| url | https://www.eriesjournal.com/index.php/eries/article/view/405 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vlastamoravcova studentsunderstandingofaxialandcentralsymmetry AT jarmilarobova studentsunderstandingofaxialandcentralsymmetry AT janahromadova studentsunderstandingofaxialandcentralsymmetry AT zdenekhalas studentsunderstandingofaxialandcentralsymmetry |