Application of Pólya’s problem solving to the study of angles in fourth grade high school students

Abstract

In this research, a study is made of the effect of the application of Pólya's problem-solving heuristic on the development of geometric skills and its impact on academic performance. In the intervention, the topic of angles was developed, to a section of 25 fourth grade high school students in an educational center in the Municipality of Yamasá of the Monte Plata Province in the Dominican Republic. A quasi-experimental type design with a quantitative approach and correlational scope was used, with a non-probabilistic sample, with an intact group and a pre-test and post-test design. The results show that, through Pólya's problem-solving heuristic, students expanded their skills in geometry that greatly increased learning about angles. Corroborated by a growth in the average of the grades from 62.4% that was obtained in the pre-test, to 83.7% that was reached in the post-test, showing statistically that there are significant differences. It stands out that the Pólya heuristic was highly valued by the students under study, therefore, it is believed that it had a positive influence on the benefit of their learning about angles. In addition, the results of the post-test reveal that there is no relationship between the sex of the group under study and the scores obtained when the Pólya heuristic is applied.

Keywords

• angles
• grades
• students
• geometry
• pólya
• problems
• sex