Student approaches resulting from integration of cultural context into transformation geometry activities

The purpose of this study is to investigate how students' in senior grade of the high school participate in and interpret the transformational geometry activities integrated with cultural context. In total, 5 students in senior grade participated in this study, all of whom live in Aydın district of Turkey. The main design of the study is qualitative. As sampling method convenient sampling was used. Participant students of the study involved in 9 different rotational geometry and culture integrated activities, 7 of which were performed as student activity sheets, 2 of which were performed as cultural games. 2 of the activities were constructed as a result of classroom activity, pilot study applied to 28 senior students by their math teacher in Didim, Aydın district. To collect data about how students participated in and made interpretations about the activities; various data collection tools such as observation, field notes, interview, audio recording and student activity sheets were used. The researcher also prepared a time table according to students' availability to participate in the activities and studied with all participants individually. The collected data were analyzed by qualitative descriptive analysis techniques and explained in findings part of this document in detail. The results are presented as tables, figures constructed by students and direct quotations. Last but not least, in this study, students participated in transformational geometry activities prepared with the use of cultural figures and games. Stated in results, the activities in which mathematics and culture are combined together led participant students to gain various experiences and to realize the secret math hidden in real life. Students' views about the study and the activities were also taken. Findings about how students participated in and interpreted the transformational geometry activities based on ethnomathematics were discussed and presented in separate parts as cultural context, values, mathematical context, the universality of mathematics and students' personal comments on activities. Lastly, at the end of this study students are said to recognize the hidden mathematics in the objects from daily life, games with cultural background and history, and both in our culture and other cultures. It can also be said that students' views and their participation process in activities differ from each other based on factors such as motivation, personal development and differences, hobbies, talents, interests, curiosity and familarity.