Pre-service teachers’ conceptual understanding and challenges in isometric drawing: Implications for teaching engineering graphics and design
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Philani Brian Mlambo 1 * , Asheena Singh-Pillay 2
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1 School of Education, Durban University of Technology, SOUTH AFRICA2 Science and Technology Education, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pinetown, SOUTH AFRICA* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This qualitative study explored pre-service teachers’ conceptual understanding of isometric drawing (ID) and the challenges they encounter when engaging with it. This enquiry was necessitated by the persistence of poor performance in ID, which constitutes a significant portion of engineering graphics and design (EGD) grade 12 examination paper two. This study was conducted to examine pre-service teachers’ understanding of ID, challenges experienced in conceptualizing ID, and the strategies they employ when engaging in ID. This may alleviate poor performance and enhance how pre-service teachers conceptualize ID. With constructivist learning theory by Vygotsky underpinning this study, 40 EGD first-year pre-service teachers were purposively selected to participate in this study. Data was collected through focus group interviews and analyzed using the six-step thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke (2006) to identify patterns and trends in pre-service teachers’ responses. The findings suggest that pre-service teachers possess a sound conceptual understanding that ID involves translating two-dimensional orthographic views into a three-dimensional figure. The findings further revealed that pre-service teachers favor the box method, which provides a geometric framework for students to work more effectively, especially those with developing spatial visualization skills. The emerging findings underscore the need for scaffolding approaches such as the box method to be employed, as it demonstrated efficacy for students with lower baseline spatial abilities.

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 22, Issue 6, June 2026, Article No: em2842

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/18636

Publication date: 28 May 2026

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