Investigation of the Dimension Identification Process of 12th Grade Students; Their Success, the Methods Used, and Mistakes

Abstract

This research examined 12th graders' dimension identification process regarding their success, methods, and mistakes using an explanatory mixed research model. The research was conducted with 150 high school students. The data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Students' dimension identification success varied depending on whether the shape is closed, curvilinear, or planar, and it generally decreased from 3 dimensions to 0 dimensions. Students' dimension identification methods included measurable features of the shape (length, area, volume), making inferences regarding the shape being filled or empty, and taking the number of axes used in the coordinate system as a basis. The mistakes resulted from wrong reasoning related to the coordinate system, incorrect dimension identification based on the fallacies about the area of curvilinear or closed linear shapes and the volume of non-planar surfaces, and associating the number of visible faces with the shape's dimensions. Keywords: dimension concept, geometry, mathematics education, measurement DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-13-06 Publication date: May 31 st 2023