Examination of the Abstraction Process of Parallelogram by Sixth-Grade Students According to RBC+C Model: A Teaching Experiment

Abstract

This study used the RBC+C model to reveal the abstractions of the 6thgrade students in the process of transition to the parallelogram area formula. Also, constructing parallelogram area information was employed as a teaching experiment based on the basic interpretive approach, one of the qualitative research methods. The study participants comprised 9 volunteer sixth-grade students with high, medium and low mathematics success levels in a public school in Istanbul in the 2021-2022 academic year. Four activities prepared by the researcher on triangular, rectangular and parallelograms were used as data collection tools. In the study, activities were recorded on video and then transcribed. As a result of the research, it is seen that students with a high and medium success level in the recognizing and building phases did not have difficulty finding the quadrilateral and triangular areas and guided the students with a low success level. Moreover, it was found that students constructed parallelogram area information. Still, when asked about the area formula, they had difficulty expressing their operations even though they correctly found the area. This is because students process by rote and cannot explain mathematical information logically. In line with these results, it is considered necessary and recommended to organize teaching activities that will allow students to learn meaningfully.