Teaching Implementation Report: Applying Concrete Teaching Aids to Improve Fifth-Grade Students' Understanding of Shapes and Properties of Three-Dimensional Figures

Abstract

This teaching implementation report describes the application of concrete teaching aids to improve fifth-grade students' understanding of shapes and properties of three-dimensional figures in elementary mathematics. Initial classroom observation indicated that conventional textbook-centered instruction made students passive and caused difficulties in distinguishing faces, edges, vertices, and curved surfaces of geometric solids. The implementation was conducted in one 2 × 35-minute meeting using concrete models of cubes, cuboids, cylinders, cones, and spheres made from simple or recycled materials, supported by pictures, a projector, and student worksheets. The learning sequence consisted of aperception through daily objects, direct manipulation of teaching aids, group exploration, completion of property tables, short presentations, and individual evaluation. Learning evidence from teacher observation, worksheets, oral questioning, and reflection showed that concrete aids helped students visualize abstract geometry concepts, identify the properties of solids more accurately, compare figures based on their characteristics, and communicate findings with greater confidence.