Definitions and Background
Visualization in mathematics learning is not new. Because mathematics involves the use of signs such as symbols and diagrams to represent abstract notions, there is a spatial aspect involved, that is, visualization is implicated in its representation. However, in contrast with the millennia in which mathematics has existed as a discipline, research on the use of visual thinking in learning mathematics is relatively new. Such research has been growing in volume and depth since the 1970s, initiated by Bishop (1973, 1980) and later Clements (1981, 1982), who investigated preferences of individual learners with regard to visualization in mathematics and how spatial abilities interacted with these preferences. Visualization has internal and external forms (Goldin 1992), which may be designated as visual mental imagery and inscriptions, respectively (Presmeg 2006). Presmeg defined a visual image as a mental sign depicting visual or spatial information and...
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Presmeg, N. (2019). Visualization and Learning in Mathematics Education. In: Lerman, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77487-9_161-4
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