Effects of concrete, virtual, and multimodal tangram manipulatives on second grade elementary students' mathematics achievement and development of spatial sense: A convergent parallel mixed methods study

Abstract

This convergent parallel mixed methods study sought to determine what effects, if any, the use of multimodal tangrams have on second grade students' mathematical achievement and the development of spatial sense, as compared to concrete and virtual manipulatives. This research examined differences in math achievement and spatial development when using the three different types of manipulatives: concrete, virtual, and multimodal. While the quantitative findings showed no significant difference in achievement and spatial sense, the qualitative data suggested that students who had experiences with virtual and multimodal tangram manipulatives were more likely to experiment with the shapes on the screen. They saw the objects as being less permanent. Students in the physical tangram group were less likely to move pieces once they were set in place. Students in the virtual and multimodal groups also showed more persistence when solving difficult puzzles. However, this study found that experiences with tangram manipulatives, regardless of type, provided opportunities for students to develop geometric knowledge including composition and decomposition of shapes, shape congruence, and an understanding of transformations.