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ABSTRACT

The performance of learners in ‘O’ level mathematics has been generally poor in Zimbabwe. There is evidence that learners have challenges in understanding and interrelating Geometric Transformation concepts as they are used in mathematics. Inappropriate pedagogical strategies of teaching the topic are viewed as the main causes of the problem. This backdrop prompted the authors to enquire the effectiveness of GeoGebra as a pedagogical tool in teaching and learning Geometric Transformations (GT) at ‘O’ level, as contrasted to traditional teaching methods used by most classroom practitioners. A real classroom set up involving the control and experimental groups of learners was used to carry out the study. The mixed methods approach used, incorporated semi-structured interviews for mathematics teachers, while written pre and post tests for both groups of learners were administered. The outcomes of this study show that although the traditional methods had a positive impact on learners’ performance, the use of GeoGebra improved their performance more in GT. Based on these findings the study recommends that for effective and quality learning in GT, teachers should embrace virtual manipulatives to conduct mathematics instruction as it is likely to enhance the mastery and retention of concepts as reflected in the study.

Keywords: GeoGebra, ICT, geometric transformations, visualisation, teaching