The development of geometric thinking is important for the overall development of a child, as it influences various aspects of cognitive, mathematical, and spatial abilities, while also encouraging exploration and understanding of the world around them. Geometric thinking is a way of thinking that focuses on understanding shapes, space, and the relationships between objects in space. In addition to learning about geometric shapes and terms, it also involves training in spatial visualization, logical thinking, reasoning, memory, and problem-solving.
The theoretical part of the master's thesis presents a description of the development of geometric thinking in children. At the beginning of the theoretical section, the concepts of Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometry are clarified, along with the placement of geometry in the kindergarten curriculum and the elementary school curriculum. The following sections, related to the development of geometric thinking, present three leading theories on the development of geometric thinking. First, Piaget's theory of the development of spatial representation abilities is presented, which the author developed based on an analysis of children's responses to certain questions, focusing primarily on incorrect answers. In addition to Piaget's theory, the fundamental theory of the van Hiele couple, who also researched the development of geometric thinking, is described. The final theory presented in the thesis is Raymond Duval's theory and his model of three cognitive processes for learning and understanding geometry in students: visualization, construction, and reasoning.
In the empirical part of the thesis, we conducted research to investigate the differences in geometric thinking among preschool children. Through pre-prepared activities in the field of geometry, we explored how children of different ages in a selected kindergarten respond to geometric tasks, particularly those related to geometric shapes. We included children aged 3 to 6 years and divided them into three age groups. Data analysis provided insights into the differences in geometric thinking based on their age. We analyzed differences in the recognition and categorization of geometric shapes, drawing and redrawing geometric shapes, and verbal descriptions of geometric shapes. The research results offer insight into a child's ability to understand geometry at a certain age. This can contribute to creating an encouraging environment that allows children to optimally develop geometric thinking.
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