Exploring the use of GeoGebra to enhance Grade 12 learners’ knowledge construction of trigonometric 2D and 3D concepts in one school in King Cetshwayo District.

Abstract

It is evident in the literature that mathematics is the school subject that learners struggle with the most, especially the concepts of trigonometry. This study explored the effectiveness of GeoGebra as a pedagogical tool to enhance Grade 12 learners’ conceptual understanding of 2D and 3D trigonometry. The study was located within the interpretive paradigm and a qualitative case study methodology was employed. Thirty Grade 12 learners were purposively selected from a high school in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality of the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Data was collected using activity worksheets administered as a pre-test and a post-test, with lessons conducted using GeoGebra. Data was also collected using semistructured interviews, focus group interviews and observations. The study was underpinned by APOS (Action, Process, Object and Schema) theory, which was used to analyse the mental constructions displayed by participants. To understand and explain the extent to which participants had been able to make mental constructions, a genetic decomposition model was used. The genetic decomposition model developed by Arnon et al., (2014) was used to understand and describe the extent to which participants were able to make the mental structures necessary to master a particular mathematical concept. The study found that learners’ conceptual understanding of 2D and 3D trigonometry improved from the pre-test, administered before they had engaged with concepts using GeoGebra, to the post-test, which was administered after learners had integrated GeoGebra into their conceptual development. This indicates that GeoGebra may have facilitated improved knowledge construction for these learners. These findings have implications for mathematics educators, curriculum developers and further researchers, as they offer insights into the potential benefits of incorporating dynamic software tools like GeoGebra to enhance the teaching and learning of trigonometry in the high school context. Ultimately, this study contributes to the on-going discourse on effective technology integration in mathematics education and offers practical recommendations for educators seeking innovative approaches to engage and empower their students through trigonometric learning experiences.