Contributions of GeoGebra software within the socio-cultural proximity on enhancing students’ conceptual understanding of mathematics

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of GeoGebra in enhancing students’ conceptual understanding of points, lines, and angles within a socio-cultural learning context. A quasi-experimental, nonequivalent pretest-posttest design was utilized, involving 279 first-year secondary school students from four public schools in Rwanda. Participants were divided into two groups: a control group of 148 students and an experimental group of 131 students. The control group received traditional instruction, with teachers providing explanations and exercises on the blackboard. In contrast, the experimental group learned the same content using GeoGebra within a smart classroom environment. Results showed that students in the experimental group significantly outperformed those in the control group (p < .001), suggesting that GeoGebra, when integrated within a socio-cultural learning context, can effectively enhance students’ understanding of mathematical concepts. The study recommends that mathematics educators incorporate GeoGebra software geometry education. The study also acknowledges the potential limitations such as the need for further research to explore the long-term effects of using GeoGebra software in mathematics education.