TO STUDY MIDDLE-GRADE STUDENTS CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING IN GEOMETRY

This dissertation studies middle grade students' misconceptions in geometry and their level of geometric thinking in two-dimensional geometry.Utilising data collected by the Connected Learning Initiative (CLIx), Tata Institute of Social Sciences, the study examines responses from students in Chhattisgarh, India, before and after instructional interventions.A qualitative approach is employed, analyzing student responses through an adapted framework based on Van Hiele's levels of geometric understanding.Findings reveal prevalent misconceptions among students, particularly in assigning correct names to shapes and describing geometric properties accurately.Pre-intervention analysis indicates that many students operate at lower levels of geometric thinking, relying heavily on visual imagery and struggling to articulate mathematical concepts.Post-intervention results demonstrate significant improvements in students' geometric understanding, with a notable shift towards higher-level geometric reasoning.The study also highlights the influence of language on geometric thinking, with students' lin-guistic backgrounds impacting their ability to articulate geometric properties accurately.The research findings reveal that most students exhibited traits of concrete operational thinking which is not consistent with Piaget stage theory.This underscores the need to emphasise on the impor-tance of instructional strategies that cater to diverse learning needs and contexts.This research dissertation contributes valuable insights into middle school students' conceptual understanding in geometry.