The Beauty of Two-Dimensional Shapes:Young Children’s Geometry Problem-Solving Processes with Pattern Blocks

• Main Authors: Chi-yee Pang, 彭子怡
• Other Authors: Huei-hsin Hsu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/84340166746225701497

碩士 === 國立臺南大學 === 幼兒教育學系碩士班 === 95 === The main purpose of this study is to investigate young children’s problem-solving strategies and geometric concepts in the geometry problem-solving processes by using pattern blocks. This is a qualitative study through observing and interviewing six children of Zai-Zai Kindergarten in Tainan City, who participated in ten pattern-block geometry problem-solving activities. Prior to this research, these six children played pattern blocks in the toy areas more often than the other children did. The researcher of this study collected observational records and children’s works via photography during the activities, translated transcripts from photos and video tapes, and analyzed all the qualitative data including interviews with children and researcher’s reflective notes. Results of this study are as follows: First, the problem-solving strategies the children used include 25 arrangement strategies, 5 grouping strategies, 4 identification strategies, 5 adjoining strategies, 4 counting strategies, 2 inserting strategies, and 10 comparison strategies. Concerning the arrangement strategies, the children used nine of them more often, and they learned the other nine new strategies through the pattern-block geometry problem-solving activities. Second, the children used 12 designing strategies during geometry problem-solving activities, and they changed the strategies according to the type of the pattern-block geometry activities. Third, the children showed 11 kinds of geometric concepts in this study. Nine kinds of them were understood more evidently, and they still showed the similar geometric concepts after the pattern-block geometry activities. Fourth, having gone through ten kinds of pattern-block geometry activities planned in this study, the children did change their problem-solving strategies and showed different geometric concepts. In this research a proper sequence of the geometry activities is proposed and some suggestions for future studies and for kindergarten teachers are made.