Enriching Mathematics Education with Visual Arts: Effects on Elementary School Students’ Ability in Geometry and Visual Arts

Abstract

This study evaluates the effects of the Mathematics, Arts, and Creativity in Education (MACE) program on students' ability in geometry and visual arts in the upper grades of elementary school. The program consisted of a lesson series for fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students in which geometry and visual arts were integrated, alongside with a professional development program for teachers. A quasi-experimental study was conducted in which three groups of teachers and their classes were investigated. One group of teachers taught the lesson series and followed a professional development program (n = 36), one group of teachers only taught the lesson series (n = 36), and a comparison group taught a series of traditional geometry lessons from mathematical textbooks (n = 43). A geometrical ability, creativity, and vocabulary test and a visual arts assignment were used in a pre-and post-measurements to test the effects of the MACE program. Results showed that students who received the MACE lesson series improved more than students who received regular geometry lessons only in geometrical aspects perceived in a visual artwork. Regarding students' understanding and explanation of geometrical phenomena and geometrical creative thinking, all students improved, but no differences between the groups were found, which implies that on these aspects the MACE program was as effective as the comparison group that received a more traditional form of geometry education.

The relation between creativity and students’ performance on different types of geometrical problems in elementary education

“…A typical example of a closed-ended routine geometry problem is a multiple choice test item in which students have to choose the correct fold-out of a cube or the correct picture of a block construction from a given perspective; these problems have one correct solution and call upon wellestablished routines (van Grootheest et al, 2011). Closedended non-routine problems require students to apply existing knowledge of facts and procedures to a novel problem not encountered before, for example when students are asked to draw a floor map of a still-life painting (Schoevers et al, 2020b). While this novel problem is conceptually similar to a routine block construction problem, the novel problem requires students to figure out how to apply their knowledge and skills to make the map (Gravemeijer et al, 2007).…”

Kemampuan Visualisasi Spasial Siswa Dalam Memecahkan Masalah Geometri Bangun Ruang Sisi Datar

“…Jadi 6 + 4 + 2 = 12" Dari wawancara tersebut, terlihat bahwa subjek memahami apa yang dimaksud dalam soal serta hal ini dapat dibuktikan ketika subjek menyelesaikan soal dengan cara menentukan volume balok terlebih dahulu. Kemampuan siswa dalam memahami masalah dari geometri dengan baik dapat menunjukkan kemampuan spatial-visualnya sangat baik (Arzarello et al, 2002;Lowrie et al, 2020;Schoevers et al, 2020;Tracy, 1987). Hal itu ditunjukkan oleh subjek saat mengurangkannya dengan kubus yang telah diketahui pada soal tetapi subjek dalam menuliskan apa yang diminta dalam soal kurang tepat serta pada saat subjek menghitung jumlah kubus yang diperlukan subjek menghitung dengan cara mengurangi volume balok dengan kubus yang diketahui pada soal.…”

Can an Educational Activity Program Based on Feuerstein’s Program and Gardner’s Theory Increase Excellence and Creativity in Math in Omani Students?

“…Creativity in math can be achieved by using several approaches. Schoevers, et al, (2019) conducted a study to evaluate the effects of the Mathematics, Arts, and Creativity in Education (MACE) program on students' ability in geometry and visual arts in the upper grades of elementary school. The program consisted of a series of lessons for fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students in which geometry and visual arts were integrated, alongside with a professional development program for teachers.…”