September 2013, Vol. 2, Issue 1
Challenging Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Image of Rectangles
Gayle Millsaps
Preservice elementary school teachers (PSTs) often have difficulty understanding hierarchical (i.e., class inclusion) relationships between geometric shapes. In particular, PSTs’ predisposition to place squares and rectangles in separate categories can be attributed to their concept images. This study examines the benefits and limitations of using the Shape Makers curriculum unit to modify preservice teachers’ concept images and their definitions of special quadrilaterals.
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