The use of Van Hiele’s geometric thinking model to interpret Grade 12 learners’ learning difficulties in Euclidean Geometry

Abstract

The 21st-century mathematics classrooms should equip learners with well-grounded knowledge and thinking skills pertaining to geometry. However, Euclidean geometry remains one of the challenging, if not the most difficult topic for many learners. As a result, the purpose of this article is to interpret Grade 12 learners’ learning difficulties in Euclidean geometry. We use Van Hiele’s geometric thinking model and Hoffer’s skills to argue an interpretation of learning difficulties in Euclidean geometry as a focal point towards creating effective teaching and learning of this important topic. This explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach involved 60 Grade 12 learners who wrote a geometry test and completed a questionnaire based on Van Hiele’s geometric thinking levels. In addition, semistructured interviews were conducted with a sample of 12 learners and four educators to investigate their views about geometry learning difficulties. The findings of the study revealed that learners had poor conceptualisation of properties of shapes, visualisation skills, circle theorems and geometry terminology, resulting in them experiencing learning difficulties. The recommendations are that, during instruction learners should be given the opportunity to manipulate real geometric objects to enhance their visualisation and visual thinking skills. In addition, we recommend that educators should teach level-specific geometry vocabulary to enable learners to understand concepts at different Van Hiele’s levels. Furthermore, we recommend that educators should use constructivist teaching approaches that encourage learners’ conceptual understanding instead of traditional methods that promote rote memorisation of geometric facts. Educators should develop learners’ broad knowledge of geometry to overcome geometry-related errors and misconceptions.