Manuscript received November 15, 2023; revised December 13, 2023; accepted December 28, 2023; published April 7, 2024
Abstract—The present study aimed to assess the perspectives of female secondary school students on the integration of visual mathematics in engineering lessons. Employing a mixed-methods approach, specifically a convergent parallel design, qualitative data were gathered through observations and interviews (both individual and focus groups), while quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire. Video clips of engineering unit lessons were utilized as educational materials. The study included 135 female students in the first year of secondary school, with 74 participating in qualitative segments, divided into focus groups and individual interviews. SPSS was employed for quantitative data analysis, calculating means and standard deviations, while thematic analysis was applied for qualitative data. Key findings indicate that visual displays significantly contributed to enhancing female students’ comprehension of mathematical concepts, facilitating the understanding of inter-concept relationships and their application in engineering. The incorporation of visual aids also positively impacted the mathematical coherence abilities of female students, establishing connections between mathematics, other subjects, and real-life situations. Furthermore, visual presentations in engineering topics were found to improve female students’ attitudes toward learning mathematics, fostering increased self-confidence and enjoyment in learning various engineering subjects. Recommendations from the study include the need for training both male and female teachers in designing effective visual presentations for teaching mathematical concepts.
Keywords—visual mathematics, mathematical representation, mixed study, secondary-school stage, geometry
Cite: Ibrahim A Khalil, Modhi Ali Al-Aqlaa, Thamer Ali Al-Wahbi, and Yousef Wardat, "Evaluating Students’ Perception of Visual Mathematics in Secondary Geometry Education: A Mixed Methods Investigation," International Journal of Information and Education Technology vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 542-551, 2024.