THE USE OF HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS IN LEARNING
THE EXTRACTION OF SQUARE ROOTS

Nenden Octavarulia Shanty
Ph.D Candidate, Middle East Technical University (METU), Turkey, nenden.shanty@metu.edu.tr

Abstract

This study aimed at implementing the instructional activities of learning the extraction of square roots based on Liu Hui’s geometrical approach. The mathematical problems were designed based on the instructional sequence in which Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) approach was used as the base for the learning. Design research was chosen to achieve this research aim. In design research, the instructional sequence plays important role as a design and research instrument. It was designed in the phase of preliminary design and tested to three Bachelor level students at Middle East Technical University, Turkey. The designed instructional sequence was then compared with students’ actual learning in the experimental phase and analyzed in which students learned or did not learn from what we had conjectured them to learn in the retrospective analysis phase. The result of the experiments showed that the context of finding the length of the fence (for a square land), coupled with geometry approach based on Liu Hui’s method, has a potential for learning the extraction of square roots. 

Keywords: extraction of square roots, Liu Hui’s geometrical approach, Realistic Mathematics Education