Research On The Assessment Of Students' Geometric Literacy

Geometric literacy is a student's capacity to identify different geometry objects and inquire problems with geometry knowledge and skills, the situation and contexts that are used as sources of stimulus materials and in which problems are posed. Students' geometry thinking levels and the capacity of application are assessed according to students' problem solving, geometry believes and the understanding of geometry culture.Based on analyzing the geometric curriculum and instruction, the meaning of geometric literacy was founded and the model of assessment of a student's geometric literacy was constructed.The research was mainly composed of three parts:The first one was to find the meaning of geometric literacy and construct a model of the students' geometric literacy assessment.In order to find the meaning of geometric literacy, the curriculums and instructions of ten countries and areas were discussed, and the researcher interviewed mathematicians and high school mathematics teachers. It is useful for researcher to identify a number of aspects of geometric literacy. Four major factors and two minor factors were identified by analyzing the curriculum and the interviews. The major factors are: geometric knowledge, competencies, application and situation; the minor factors are students' geometric believes and understanding of geometric culture. The weightiness of every factor was decided by geometric curriculums, mathematicians and high school mathematics teachers. So, a model for evaluating students' geometric literacy was established.The second one was to assess students' geometric literacy by the model. More than 800 students were tested and investigated. With the model and students' response, student scores were grouped into five proficiency levels, according to these levels, the geometric literacy levels are: insulation, functionality, multi-structural, synthesis, criticism. We found that most high school students were at level 2 and level 3. There was a significant difference between the students' geometric literacy in grade 7 and grade 8. Most students in grade 7 were at level 1 and level 2, and students in grade 8 were at level 2 and level 3. Except the analysis of the geometric literacy, we discussed all the factors that affected the geometric literacy. The third one was to study students' geometric literacy based on the project. With the project-base geometry, the research on the development of geometric literacy was carried out. We found there were 4 features about geometric literacy: synthesis, alternation, developing and application.The research was about the assessment of students' geometric literacy by assessing all kinds of factors affected the literacy. This is a new method for the assessment of students' geometric literacy, maybe it is a start for the further study.