The Obstacles For Senior High School Students In Studying Analytic Geometry And Teaching Strategies

Analytic geometry is both the focus and difficulty of high school mathematicsand is the one of the indispensable knowledge points of the yearly college entranceexamination as well. However, what’s students’ state when learning analyticgeometry? To what extent can they understand the basic concepts referred to inanalytic geometry? How about their application in the mathematical thoughts andthinking methods involved in analytic geometry, for example, symbolic-graphiccombination, function and equation, classified discussion and vector quantity? Howabout their ability to grasp the core problem of analytic geometry: the algebraization’of geometric problems? Whats the obstacles for the students in studying analyticgeometry.This paper studied182students of Zhujiajiao Senior High School in Shanghai inthe form of questionnaire survey and test paper. In the study, the students aredivided into different levels by Solo classification. And the results shows there aresome problems in learning analytic geometry for students: students have a sense offear when learning analytic geometry, thus leading to emotional attitude obstacles insome of the students; stud’ents dont have a thorough understanding of the basicconcepts of conic curve, thus leading to their difficulty in dealing with problemsthrough concepts and definitions; students don’t master basic calculating methodsand basic calculating ability, some of whom have trouble in calculating operation;students lack awareness of applying vector quantity to dealing with the problems inanalytic geometry, leading to their poor ability to deal with the problems in analytic’geometry through algebraization; students poor understanding of the mathematicalthinking methods in conic curves and their disturbance of thought in dealing with theproblems in analytic geometry result in students’ failure to apply the mathematicalthinking methods to dealing with the synthesis problems of conic curves.In view of the above problems, some teaching strategies are listed for teachinganalytic geometry: encourage the students to overcome their obstacles and build up their confidence in learning analytic geometry; help students have a general idea ofthe concepts of conic curves by reading materials and doing researches and deepentheir understanding of basic concepts through the derivation of standard equationand the application of the typical examples; cultivate students’ ability of calculatingoperation by putting emphasis on calculating methods, strengthening time-limitedcalculation and choosing proper calculating methods to reduce calculated amount;improve students’ ability of algebraization of geometric problems by emphasizingthe integration of vector quantity andanalytic geometry and proper conversion;enhance students’ thinking level andtheir ability to solve synthesis problemsthrough the emphasis on the teachingof the mathematical thinking methods insymbolic-graphic combination, functionand equation, classified discussion and soon.