Contextual Strategies in the Educational Process of Geometry and Two-Dimensionality in a Student with Disabilities

Abstract

The teaching and learning process for students with some type of disability is complex. Firstly, the isolation and exclusion of these students by their peers in different activities planned by the teacher is evident. Secondly, teachers plan activities for their participation but the intellectual and cognitive differences between students are framed. This situation sometimes has repercussions at a psychological level, causing demotivation and frustration when learning. This research involves the educational process aimed at developing geometric thinking under the Van Hiele model in a 12 years old student with visual and intellectual disabilities who is expected to attend the sixth grade at a Colombian public educational institution, implementing a case study.

The activities were planned to involve all students; however, learning delays and exclusion from peers were evident. Therefore, the teaching process requires a careful and adaptive approach to ensure learning opportunities. The prognosis showed that the participant was at Van Hiele level 1; thus, an open-field didactic sequence was implemented, advancing to level 2. Although there are constitutional and legal regulations on inclusion, there is often a gap between what is written on paper and the real-life experiences of the student, teacher, institution, and family, who face this social reality, highlighting the need for teacher training.

The research work was framed within a qualitative approach as it was a case study that not only addressed cognitive aspects related to geometry, but also addressed the social aspects related to the student. This research presents an in-depth analysis of the object of study, which has been analyzed with rigor in mind. Data collection is carried out in a way that demonstrates their veracity, fulfilling the criterion of contributing to the advancement of knowledge that can shed light on other research on the issues raised here. The methodology included three phases: diagnosis, implementation of learning activities, and reflection.

The results reflected that: i) the didactic strategies used have made it possible to bring the educational process closer by applying geometry to the specific conditions of a student under study and, in turn, has involved his peers in the educational process without truncating or relegating the progress of the rest of the group to which the student belongs, ii) with the intervention process implemented, the student managed to move from level 1 to level 2 in the Van Hiele model, that is, he moved from an informative level to one of understanding the relationships between the properties of geometric figures and how these are part of a whole, iii) significant progress was achieved in the level of development of the student's geometric knowledge, increasing his resilience and confidence to interact with geometric objects in his context, and iv) the study allowed us to recognize that inclusion is not just about policies and standards that must be applied in educational contexts, but rather it is an entire process of transition towards a society that is much more comprehensive and open to new forms of understanding, interaction and construction of knowledge with the human beings.