Teaching of Translations through use of Vectors in Wingeom-tr Environment

Abstract

This study investigated the kinds of understandings required to conceptually develop the
meaning of translations at the elementary school level. For this purpose, a curriculum piece supported by the use
of a geometry software, called Wingeom-tr, was developed and applied to four sixth graders via teaching
experiment methodology. As a result, how participants made sense of translations and the constructs necessary
to understand translations, the kinds of difficulties participants experienced, the (dis)advantages of using
Wingeom-tr in teaching translations, and the kind of experience gained from the curriculum development were
analyzed. Such analyses were guided by the use of drawing-figure theoretical framework offered by Parsyzz and
Laborde. Results indicate that understanding vectors is necessary in abstracting the meaning of translations.
Additionally, use of a dynamic environment such as Wingeom-tr followed by static environment (paper-pencil
environment) fosters the learning process.