The Contribution of Discussion Group to Overcome Difficulties Felt by Students in Learning Geometry

Abstract

This article seeks to understand the contributions which the discussion in small or large group, to overcome difficulties experienced by students of 10th year of schooling in Geometry. We opted for a qualitative methodology based on the descriptive and interpretative paradigm, following the case study mode. The participants were two groups of students in a 10^th grade class (on average 15 years old). The data was collected through participant observation, documentary analysis and group interviews. The results of the experiment suggest that the small group discussion helped students overcome difficulties in learning geometry in situations involving concepts and mathematical reasoning. However, the discussion in large group became instrumental in most situations, whose reasoning is revealed more complex.