Students’ Research Skills Development by Using Visualization

The analysis of modern methodological systems of teaching mathematics shows that the use of interactive visual models can positively influence the result of mastering mathematical knowledge and the level of students' research skills. The development of IT has made the emergence of many specialized environments and services focused on solving mathematical problems possible. Among such software tools, a separate group of programs should be highlighted that allow interactive user interaction with geometric objects. These computer programs enable the student to independently "discover" geometric facts, which gives reason to consider such programs as a tool for developing their research skills. The study aims to substantiate the positive impact of visual models (models created in interactive mathematical environments) on developing students' research skills and general mastery of the school geometry course. We have presented a methodological scheme for developing students' research skills using GeoGebra (Technique), conducted its expert evaluation, and experimentally tested its effectiveness. The experts noted the potential efficacy of the Technique in terms of the quality of students' geometric knowledge (91.7%) and improving their performance in geometry in general (79.2%). The statistical analysis of the results of the pedagogical experiment confirmed that the student's research skills increased along with the semester grades in learning geometry. The results of the pedagogical experiment showed the effectiveness of the Technique we developed and provided grounds for recommending it for implementation.