Connection forms of sixth grade students regarding the conceptions of length, perimeter, area and volume

The aim of this study was to examine the ways in which 6th-grade students establish connections between the concepts of length, perimeter, area, and volume. For this purpose, the calculations related to the concepts of length, perimeter, area, and volume made by the students, as well as how they established connections while defining these concepts, were examined. This qualitative research was conducted with a group of nine 6th grade students in a public middle school located in a major city in Turkey. A total of 26 open-ended questions related to length, perimeter, area, and volume were asked of the students through individual interviews. The interviews were completed in three sessions, each lasting approximately 40 minutes. The interviews were recorded using video recording devices, and student answer sheets were collected after the interviews. The obtained data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Based on the findings of the study, the research revealed that students' thinking regarding length, perimeter, area, and volume concepts were interconnected. The emerged themes also encompassed these connections. Based on these connections, themes have emerged related to the linking of measurement with units, connecting the formula and concept, connecting the unit quality with the quality to be measured, connecting the concepts of length, perimeter, area, and volume, and connecting the definitions of the concepts of length, perimeter, area, and volume with the features of these concepts. Under the theme of connecting measurement with units, two categories were identified: connecting non-standard units with measurement and connecting standard units with measurement. Under the theme of the relationship established between the concepts of length, perimeter, area, and volume; the categories of establishing a relationship between length and perimeter, establishing a relationship between perimeter and area, and establishing a relationship between area and volume were formed. The categories belonging to the theme of connecting the definitions with the properties of the concepts of length, perimeter, area, and volume are making definitions independent of properties and making definitions based on properties. The research provides insights into how students establish connections between the concepts of length, perimeter, area, and volume, and it is expected to offer insights to teachers, curriculum developers, and researchers in the relevant field. Keywords: Length, perimeter, area, volume, connection, geometry, measurement, 6th-grade students