Improving students van Hiele and proof-writing ability using Geometer's sketchpad

Abstract

This paper was undertaken to determine the Philippine Science High School-Central Mindanao Campus sophomore science students van Hiele levels of understanding and proof-writing ability as influenced by Geometers Sketchpad. The place of the study was conducted at Philippine Science High School Central Mindanao Campus, Baloi, Lanao del Norte during the third and fourth quarter period of the school year, 2010.  The subjects were second year high school students comprising of three intact sections with a total population of forty-four (44).  The research employed the one-shot pretest and posttest design. The van Hiele geometry test and sets of proof-writing problems were administered, before using the Geometer’s Sketchpad software.  The same test instruments were administered after the treatment and the posttest score were considered as criterion measure. The frequency distribution of students van Hiele levels of understanding before and after using the Geometers Sketchpad revealed that majority of the students improved their knowledge in the subject from abstract level of thinking to deductive level thinking. The t-test of independence showed the following results: (1) There is significant difference between pretest and posttest on the student’s van Hiele levels of understanding as influence by Geometer’s Sketchpad; (2) There is significant difference between pretest and posttest on the student’s proof-writing test as influence by Geometer’s Sketchpad.