Unveiling the Conceptual Barriers in Geometric Visualization through Newman's Error Analysis

Abstract

Students are facing difficulties in the use of reasoning and problem solving skills in geometry. It causes significantly low performance in mathematics. The data was collected from sixteen students of grade IX from a community schools in the Kathmandu district. This research aims to investigate the learners’ difficulties encountered in the experimental verification of the geometric statements. For this purpose, the answer sheets of sixteen students were divided in four groups according to their errors in proving the geometry statement. After that, researchers randomly selected fours students S1, S2, S3, and S4 based on the homogenous groups. These answer sheets were analyzed for the exploration of errors in the geometrical reasoning. The students reasoning skills in the proof of the statement 'Midpoint theorem' were analyzing by using Newman's Error Analysis methods. The findings revealed that students struggled in experimental proof of the geometric problem, exhibiting a lack of mastery over the subject matter and an understanding of experimental proof in geometric reasoning. Eventually, the issues of errors of the students themselves, particularly their deficits skills in applying prior concepts.