NS

ER
ST
EA
Y
SIT
ER OL
NIV HO
E U E SC
T
AT
ST UA
AR AD
AM GR

GEOMETRY FOR
TEACHERS
Course Introduction to

VON CHRISTOPHER G. CHUA, MST

Reconnaisance
Learning as Acquisition vs.
Learning as Participation
Sfards Two Metaphors of Learning, 1998

How is Geometry taught in

classrooms?

Reconnaisance
The reality is
In secondary schools, rules of
logic are GIVEN to students and
teachers EXPECT them to come
up with formal proofs of
geometric proposition.

Reconnaisance
It is inappropriate to teach
children Euclidean Geometry
following the same logical
construction of axioms,
definitions, theorems, and
proofs that Euclid used to
construct the system
Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute

Reconnaisance
Children dont think on a formal
deductive level, and therefore can
only memorize geometric facts and
rules
but not understand the relationships
between the ideas, if taught using
this approach

THE VAN HIELE

Understanding Students Level of
MODEL
OF
Geometric
Thinking
GEOMETRIC
THOUGHT
VON CHRISTOPHER G. CHUA, MST

Overview of the Van Hiele

Model

Developed by Dina van Hiele-Geldof and

Pierre van
Hiele in 1957, this model describes the
varying
levels of understanding through which
students
progress when learning geometry (Van
Hiele,
1984).

LEVELS of
GEOMETRIC
THOUGHT
The Van Hiele Model

Levels of Geometric
Thought
Level 4

Rigor

Deductio
n
Level 2
Abstractio
n
Level
Analysis
1
Level 3

Leve
l0

Visualization

10

Level 0: VISUALIZATION
In this level, the student
identifies, compares and sorts shapes on the
basis of their appearance as a whole.
solves problems using general
properties and
techniques (e.g., overlaying,
measuring).
uses informal language.

11

How would a learner in Level 0 respond to

the question?
Are the two shapes different?

Learners in Level
O would say that
the two shapes
are different and
would reason
out that one is a
square and the
other is a

12

Level 1: ANALYSIS (Descriptive)

In this level, the student
recognizes figures as having parts.
recognizes and describes a shape in terms
of its
properties/characteristics.
discovers properties experimentally by
observing, measuring, drawing and
modeling.
uses formal language and symbols.

13

Learners
in Level
How
would a learner in Level 1 respond to
1 understand
the questions?
that both figures
are squares
Are the two shapes different?
because both
have four equal
sides and four
right angles.
They will,
however, say
that the figures
are NOT
rectangles
because a
rectangle is

TRUE or FALSE? Both figures are

rectangles.

14

Level 2: ABSTRACTION

(Informal

Deduction)

In this level, the student,

defines a figure using a minimum, but sufficient, set
of properties
gives informal arguments, and discovers new
properties by deduction
follows and supplies parts of a deductive
argument
does NOT grasp the meaning of an
axiomatic system, or see the relationships
between
networks of theorems

15

Learners
in Level
How
would a learner in Level 2 respond to
2 will
sayitems?
all
the
squares are
TRUE or FALSE? Both figures
rectangles,
therefore, the rectangles.
statement is
true.
The same
learners may be
able to make an
informal proof
for the one
asked but has
not yet
mastered the

are

Prove that a square is BOTH a rhom

and a rectangle.

16

Level 3: ABSTRACTION

(Informal

Deduction)
In this level, the student,
In mathematics,
anaxiomatic
recognizes and flexibly
systemis any
components of
set
ofaxiomsfrom
an axiomatic system
which some or
allaxiomscan
creates, compares,
be used in
conjunction todifferent
logically derive
proofs
theorems.

uses the

and contrasts

does NOT compare axiomatic

17

How would a learner in Level 3 respond to

the items?

(1) Let ABCD be a

square.

REASON
Prove
that a square is BOTH a rhomb
Premise
and a rectangle.

(2) All four angles of

square ABCD are right.

Definition of a
Square, (1)

(3) Square ABCD is a

rectangle.

Definition of a
Rectangle, (2)

(4) All four sides of

square ABCD are
congruent

Definition of a
Square, (1)

(5) Square ABCD is a

rhombus

Definition of a
rhombus, (4)

(6) Square ABCD is a

rectangle and a rhombus.

(3), (5)

STATEMENT

Is the figure a

To the learner,
triangle?
the figure is NOT
a triangle
because a
triangle is a
polygon a
closed figure
made up of a
finite chain of
straight line

18

Level 4: RIGOR
In this level, the student,
compares axiomatic systems
rigorously establishes theorems in
different
axiomatic systems in the absence of
reference
models.

19

How would a learner in Level 3 respond to

the items?

A learner who
has reached
mathematical
rigor
understands
that the figure is
a triangle
formed by three
straight lines.
The triangle is,
in fact, called a
Reuleaux
triangle.

Is the figure a triangle?

20

PROPERTIES of
the VAN HIELE
LEVELS

21

Properties of Levels
FIXED
SEQUENCE

ADJACENC
Y

DISTINCTI
ON

SEPARATIO
N

ATTAINME
NT

Levels are
hierarchic
al.

Properties
that are
implicit at
one level
become
explicit at
the next

Each level
has its
own
language,
set of
symbols,
and
network of
relationshi
ps

People at
varying
levels
may not
be in the
same
frame of
thinking

Progressin
g through
each level
requires
the
undergoin
g five
phases of
learning

22

PHASES of
LEARNING in
the VAN HIELE
MODEL

23

INFORMATION PHASE
Students develop vocabulary and
concepts
for a particular task. The teacher
assesses
students interpretation/reasoning
and
determines how to move forward
with

24

Sample Lesson and Specific Phases of

Learning
Content Standard: The learner demonstrates understanding
of key concepts of parallelograms and triangle similarity.
Performance Standards: The learner is able to investigate,
analyze, and solve problems involving parallelograms and
triangle similarity through appropriate and accurate
representation.
Learning Competency: Identifies quadrilaterals that are
parallelograms
[M9GE-IIIa-1]
As initial
activity, the teacher may present

cut-outs, or models, of a parallelogram

(but not giving away its name) and ask
the students to describe these models. All
preconceptions will be written on the
board to be used in a later part of the
lesson.

25

DIRECTED ORIENTATION PHASE

Students actively engage in teacherdirected
tasks. They work with the
developments
from the previous stage to gain an
understanding of them as well as
the
connections among them.

26

Sample Lesson and Specific Phases of

Learning

The class is divided into groups of four.

Each group is given seven figures some
of which are parallelograms while others
are not.
The teacher instructs the students to sort
out which of the figures do they think are
parallelograms. They must also provide
reason why they think others are not
parallelograms.

27

EXPLICATION PHASE
Students are given the opportunity to
verbalize their understanding. The
teacher
leads the discussion.

28

Sample Lesson and Specific Phases of

Once the activity is finished, the teacher
Learning
facilitates a discussion and incorporates
scaffolding.

Which group would like to discuss how they

grouped the figures?
Do all the other groups agree with the
classification done? [elaborate]
What makes each of these [non-parallelograms]
not parallelograms? [explain]

In conclusion, the teacher formally defines

what a parallelogram is and allows the
students to revisit the preconceptions and
decide which are correct.

29

FREE ORIENTATION PHASE

Students are challenged with tasks that are
more
complex and discover their own ways of
completing each task.

30

Sample Lesson and Specific Phases of

Learning

As application, problems that seek to

classify parallelograms from other
quadrilaterals is given.
Such as, is a rectangle a parallelogram?
Explain.

31

INTEGRATION PHASE
Students summarize what they have
learned,
creating an overview of the concept at
hand.
It is important that the teacher not
present any
new material during this phase, but
only a
summary of what has already been

32

Sample Lesson and Specific Phases of

Learning
To aid in generalization, the teacher asks
the students to state the definition of a
parallelogram and enumerate what other
important things they learned in the
lesson.
An assignment is given that is leading to
properties of parallelograms.

33

The Van Hieles

Model of
Geometric
Thought possess
similar
characteristics in
design with the
Four As
promoted by
DepEd in the K12 program.

Four As

Van
Hieles
Model

Applicatio
n

Integration

Abstractio
n

Free
Orientatio
n

Analysis

Explication

Activity

Information,
Directed
Orientation

34

PEDAGOGICAL
PRACTICES that
GO AGAINST
VAN HIELEs
MODEL

35

FREE ORIENTATION PHASE

Many textbooks are written with only the
integration
phase in place.
The integration phase often coincides with
the
objective of the learning.
Many teachers switch to, or even begin,
their
teaching with this phase, a.k.a. direct
teaching.

Children whose geometric

thinking you nurture
carefully will be better
able to successfully study
the kind of mathematics
that Euclid created.
Pierre van Hiele

37

Lets put your understanding to test

In groups of three, examine an
example of a completed Geometry
test. Based on the responses of the
student to the questions,
(1)Determine what level in the Van
Hieles Model each question
provides information about; and
(2)Decide under which level the
student is under.

38

Dare to go further
Ask a Grade 10 student to answer
the same test you worked with in
the activity. Based on the answers
in the paper, decide under which
level in Van Hieles model the
learner is under. Reason out why
you have come into this decision.
Give reference to specific items and
answers in the test in your
reasoning.