The use of dynamic geometry software in the process of constructing hierarchical relationships and volume relations of prisms and students' views on the process

This thesis aims not only, through GeoGebra, a dynamic geometry software, to provide students a better understanding of the hierarchical relations of prisms and their volume that the students have difficulty in comprehending but also to reveal students' views on the process. This study is action research which is one of the qualitative research methods. The research was carried out with seventh-grade students in a public school in a province in the Central Anatolia Region in the 2020-2021 Academic Year. The activities related to the study were prepared and applied to the students. Accordingly, analysis and interviews were conducted with five students who regularly participated in the activities. The data includes the camera recordings obtained from the activities with GeoGebra, the activities, and interview forms. In this vein, six different activities were prepared about the acquirements related to prisms and volume in the curriculum. Prisms used in the process of creating hierarchical relations and volume relations of geometric objects with dynamic geometry software consist of cube, square prism, and rectangular prism in the curriculum. The data obtained in the light of the activities and interviews were analysed within the framework of Mathematical Understanding Levels. When the activities were examined, it was pointed out that the students responded to the same activity by using different solution methods. Consequently, it was put forward that the students were able to establish volume relations although they had difficulty in making hierarchical associations. Within the scope of this study, there are activities prepared with dynamic geometry software to support conceptual and relational understanding. It has helped the process of creating hierarchical associations and volume relations by using the features of dynamic geometry software such as being flexible, moving, transforming, visualising, being dynamic, and making concrete relations by visualising them. Moreover, when the students' opinions were examined, it was discovered that they interpreted the activities made with GeoGebra as easy to understand, simple, and instructive. Hence, it is recommended to use dynamic geometry software in the process of creating hierarchical relations and volume relations of prisms.