The impact of using the GeoGebra program on students’ academic performance in solving geometric problems
Abstract
Teaching students to solve geometric problems is one of the most pressing issues in mathematics education. Problem-solving is a primary means of applying students’ theoretical knowledge and constitutes an essential part of their work in geometry lessons. However, classroom practice indicates that many students experience serious difficulties in solving mathematical problems and often fail to develop adequate problem-solving skills. These difficulties are particularly evident in geometry. Therefore, further investigation is needed into instructional approaches that may improve students’ geometric problem-solving abilities. This study aimed to develop a GeoGebra-supported methodology for building students’ foundational knowledge and to test its effectiveness in teaching geometric problem-solving. A total of 370 students from four schools in Almaty—Schools Nos. 17, 33, 148, and 172—participated in the study. The experimental and control groups each consisted of 185 students from classes with similar levels of prior geometry achievement, based on their results from the previous academic year. The findings showed that students in the experimental group demonstrated higher levels of foundational knowledge and better problem-solving performance than those in the control group. The GeoGebra-supported methodology also contributed to students’ understanding of geometric concepts and improved their ability to solve geometric problems.