Developing Learners’ Mathematical Problem-Solving Competence in Teaching Visual Geometry to Grade 7 Students Using the Dynamic Geometry Software GeoGebra

Abstract

In the 2018 Mathematics General Education Curriculum, Visual Geometry is expected to help lower secondary students develop spatial reasoning, mathematical representation, and problem-solving competence. However, the teaching of three-dimensional geometry often relies on static illustrations, which may limit students’ opportunities to manipulate, explore, and verify geometric relationships. This article examines the pedagogical potential of GeoGebra 3D in supporting Grade 7 students’ mathematical problem-solving competence in learning the topic of rectangular prisms and cubes. Using a pedagogical design-oriented analysis, the study proposes and analyzes a teaching procedure in which students observe dynamic 3D models, unfold rectangular prisms to construct the lateral surface area formula, and use unit cubes to conceptualize volume. The analysis is grounded in the 2018 Mathematics General Education Curriculum, theories of mathematical problem solving, scholarship on visual geometry and dynamic geometry environments. The proposed activities illustrate how GeoGebra 3D can support students in identifying problems, formulating conjectures, testing relationships, generalizing formulas, and applying knowledge to geometric situations. The article contributes a theoretically grounded instructional illustration for teaching Visual Geometry with digital tools, while highlighting the need for further empirical research to examine its effectiveness in classroom contexts.