Future teachers' perception of the usefulness of SketchUp for understanding the space and geometry domain

Enrique Carmona-Medeiro; Juan Antonio Antequera-Barroso; José María Cardeñoso Domingo

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08206

Future teachers' perception of the usefulness of SketchUp for understanding the space and geometry domain

Heliyon. 2021 Oct 19;7(10):e08206. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08206. eCollection 2021 Oct.

Authors

Enrique Carmona-Medeiro¹, Juan Antonio Antequera-Barroso², José María Cardeñoso Domingo¹

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Education, Department of Didactics, Area of Didactic of Mathematic, University of Cádiz, Puerto Real, 11519 Cádiz, Spain.
² Faculty of Teacher Training, Department of Didactics of Experimental Sciences and Mathematics, Area of Didactic of Mathematic, University of Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain.

Abstract

This article reflects the opinion of future Early Childhood Education teachers at the Universidad de Cádiz on the usefulness and degree of satisfaction of SketchUp, a 3D modelling software programme, after they participated in a workshop for didactic-mathematical training. They had to use the software to design and model their ideal nursery school in 3D, supported by clearly stated and well-defined educational pillars. This study aims to ascertain the students' perceptions of the use of this resource with the intention of assessing its suitability to offer more appropriate initial training regarding mathematics education. It seeks to make the most of using the software programme and minimise the obstacles encountered. Opinions were collected from a sample of 203 students who responded to two questionnaires designed ad hoc. The results are organised around a SWOT analysis and show a satisfactory global evaluation.

Keywords: Educational informatics; Educational innovation; Geometry; Mathematics education; Teacher training.