THE WORLD OF GEOMETRIC SHAPES FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS (FOUNDATIONS OF GEOMETRY)

Abstract

The article examines the methodological features and practical significance of teaching the elective course 
"Fundamentals of Geometry" aimed at developing geometric concepts, spatial thinking, and logical reasoning in 
primary school students. The empirical study was conducted at the Republican Physics and Mathematics School 
(RPMS) in Astana, involving 28 fourth-grade students (14 in the experimental group and 14 in the control group). 
During the pedagogical experiment, ethnopedagogical elements (patchwork quilt patterns, symmetry of national 
ornaments), the "Tangram" puzzle, and modern ICT tools (GeoGebra) were integrated into the lessons. The dynamics of 
students' cognitive development were evaluated using the international Van Hiele levels of geometric thinking. The 
research results demonstrated that this practice-oriented approach successfully facilitated the transition of the majority 
of students in the experimental group from Level 1 (Visualization) to Level 2 (Analysis) according to the Van Hiele 
model. The proposed guidelines and task samples are recommended as practical support for primary school teachers, 
educators in supplementary education, and mathematics specialists.