RUME 28
2026
Alexandria, Virginia
A Case for Applying Unit Transformation Graphs to Model Students’ Solutions to Transformation Geometry Problems
Page: 924
In this theoretical report, we argue that unit transformation graphs are an appropriate and useful tool for modeling students’ solutions to transformation geometry problems. Developed by mathematics education researchers working from a Piagetian theoretical perspective, unit transformation graphs explicate the mental actions that students use in solving problems, along with the objects (or units) on which they are acting. This theoretical report contributes to an understanding of how unit transformation graphs can be extended, beyond their current use, to model student reasoning in a new mathematical domain. We illustrate the potential efficacy of unit transformations in modeling students’ solutions to transformation geometry problems with two researcher-generated solutions to a transformation geometry problem, and we call for future empirical research to model students’ solutions to transformation problems with UTGs.