449
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Articles

Learning to calculate surface area: a focus on strategy choice

ORCID Icon
Pages 301-322 | Published online: 19 Jun 2022
 

ABSTRACT

Previous research into the teaching and learning of surface area emphasises the use of nets and formulae to calculate the total surface area of three-dimensional objects despite enduring student difficulties. This study investigated an instructional intervention for Year 8 mathematics students (n = 47; 13–14 years old) designed to elicit multiple strategies for calculating the surface area of simple prisms and justifications for choosing those strategies. I used the theory of strategy choice to analyse the collective strategy repertoire, flexibility, and adaptivity that students developed and used to calculate the total surface area of cubes and prisms. The results revealed that students developed a range of strategies and used them in varied combinations to calculate surface area. Students also developed a range of justifications for their strategy choices, which suggested that a focus on nets and formulae might not be appropriate when students are first learning to calculate surface area.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 53.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 342.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.