Drawing out emotions in primary grade geometry

2.4 Research questions 
In this study, I aim to contribute to the research of the mathematics-related affect by 
presenting a detailed inventory to determine the emotional classroom climate in 
geometry lessons using participant-produced drawings, by providing insight into the 
emotional classroom climate in primary grade geometry lessons, and by examining 
the grade level’s effect on that. The exact research questions are:
1. 
What kind of emotional classroom climate in geometry lessons can be seen in 
primary Grade 3-6 participant-produced drawings?

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KUZLE (2021) 
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2. 
What similarities and differences in participant-produced drawings exist among 
elementary Grades 3–6 from the perspective of the emotional classroom climate 
in geometry lessons? 
3 
Research process 
3.1 Research design and subjects 
For this study, an explorative cross-sectional qualitative research design (Patton, 
2002
) using participant-produced drawings (Kearney & Hyle, 
2004
) was chosen. The 
study participants were 114 elementary school students (Grades 3 to 6). This age 
group was optimal as they had already gathered enough experience in school 
mathematics. Furthermore, according to Lucquet’s developmental-stage theory (1913, 
1923, in Anning & Ring, 
2004
), the children are either at a schematic stage (ages 7 to 
9 years) or visually unrealistic stage (ages 9 to 11 years) of drawing. Thus, the quality 
of drawings is already solid to high enough to allow rich insights into the emotional 
classroom climate. The distribution of students was as follows: 25 students from 
Grade 3, 33 students from Grade 4, 28 students from Grade 5, and 28 students from 
Grade 6. In the study, multiple urban schools from two federal states in Germany (i.e., 
Berlin and Brandenburg) participated in the project. Here, elementary schools were 
approached that fit the profile (i.e., not high- or low-ranked schools, but average 
urban schools). From the schools that agreed to participate, classes were selected that 
had at least one geometry lesson per week and, according to the teachers, may reflect 
the variety of emotional states in geometry instruction. From the same school, a 
maximum of two average students were randomly selected. Typical case sampling as 
a type of purposive sampling was utilized as a way of collecting rich and in-depth data 
and to allow for a comparison between other similar samples (Patton, 
2002
).