Exploring Concept Images and Misconceptions in Geometry Through Creative Mathematical Story Writing

This exploratory qualitative study investigates how creative mathematical story writing can illuminate primary students’ geometric conceptions and misconceptions in an Irish‑medium context. Motivated by persistent underperformance in geometry on international assessments and an over‑reliance on often problematic textbooks, the study examines whether creative writing can make students’ concept images of geometry visible. Drawing on the Fighting Words pedagogy, 18 students (ages 10–12) collaboratively authored four mathematical stories in Irish, later translated into English. Using qualitative content analysis, we coded story excerpts against Irish curriculum objectives for Geometry and Geometric Measurement, with conceptual understanding serving as the primary analytic lens. Findings indicate that students displayed substantial procedural fluency (e.g. correct formulas for perimeter, area, and circle measures; accurate classifications of shapes) while simultaneously revealing fragile concept images. Recurring misconceptions included conflating 2‑D figures and 3‑D solids, interpreting 360° as a “sharp turn” rather than a full rotation, and treating area, volume, and capacity as interchangeable measures of “size.” The study argues that creative mathematical story writing offers a powerful diagnostic window on students’ geometric thinking, particularly in minority‑language settings, and discusses implications for assessment for learning and for designing tasks that productively surface and address misconceptions.