Investigating the efect of using concrete materials and the Geometer?s Sketchpad software on pre-service teachers? geometry achievement

In this study, the effect of using concrete materials and Geometer?s Sketchpad, a dynamic geometry software, on pre-service teachers? geometry achievement was investigated. The study was carried out with 156 first year pre-service elementary mathematics pre-service teachers enrolled in the Elementary Education Department of Gaziantep University in 2010-2011 academic years. Participants were divided into four groups: SM-1 (Concrete Material-1; day group; 1. öğretim), SM-2 (Concrete Material-2; night group; 2. öğretim), GSP-1 (Geometer?s Sketchpad-1; day group; 1. öğretim) and GSP-2 (Geometer?s Sketchpad-2; night group; 2. öğretim). At the beginning of the study, a geometry achievement test was administered as a pretest, later; a set of geometry teaching activities was implemented for eight weeks. After the intervention, the same geometry test was implemented as the posttest. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings indicate that both geometry achievement of Concrete Material and Geometer?s Sketchpad groups increased significantly from the pretest o the posttest. Also, it was found out that the day groups (SM-1 and GSP-1) improved their scores significantly higher than the night groups (SM-2 and GSP-2). Additionally, descriptive analysis of each question in the geometry test was conducted. Based on the analyses, it was observed that the GSP groups were considerably better than the SM groups on four questions (#1, #4, #6 and #8);and the SM groups were better on three questions (#2, #5 and #10). However, such differences were not statistically significant.