Passing the exam and not mastering the material in geometry

Abstract

. It is a common assumption that taking a mathematics course and passing the exam means that one has mastered the course requirements and gained a sufficiently deep understanding of the course material. According to the communication part of the Van Hiele Theory, if someone does not reach the expected entry-level, they won’t be able to develop during the course. In our research, we investigated this contradiction in the field of geometry. We examined this phenomenon with mathematics major and pre-service mathematics teacher students during their first geometry course.