Exploring the Integration of Language Literacy and Numeracy in Junior High School Students' Conceptual Understanding of Geometry Based on Pirie-Kieren Theory

Abstract

This article presents an exploratory qualitative study designed to examine how language literacy and numeracy are integrated in junior high school students' conceptual understanding of geometry through the lens of Pirie-Kieren theory. The study is motivated by persistent difficulties among students in understanding geometric concepts, connecting mathematical representations, and communicating mathematical ideas in a logical and systematic manner. In geometry learning, students are required not only to perform numerical procedures but also to read mathematical texts, interpret symbols, coordinate visual representations, and construct meaning from verbal, symbolic, and spatial information. The study uses a descriptive-exploratory qualitative design involving seventh-grade students at SMPN 21 Pontianak. At the initial stage, 60 students are involved in a conceptual understanding test and classroom observation on the topic of surface area of flat-sided solid figures. Six students are then selected purposively for in-depth analysis based on variations in their conceptual understanding. Data are collected through conceptual understanding tests, literacy-based tasks, classroom observation, semi-structured interviews, and students' written artifacts. Data analysis is conducted through data reduction, open coding, axial coding, selective coding, interpretation, and triangulation based on the eight layers of Pirie-Kieren mathematical understanding. The expected contribution of this study is a conceptual model explaining the interaction between language literacy, numeracy, and students' geometric understanding, including the identification of conceptual and linguistic obstacles that emerge during geometry learning.