Geometry Teaching in Iceland in the Late 1800s and the Van Hiele Theory

Abstract

The first Icelandic textbook in geometry was published in 1889. Its declared aim was to avoid formal proofs. Concurrently geometry instruction was being debated in Europe; whether it should be taught as purely deductive science, or built on experiments and intuitive thinking. The policy of Icelandic intellectuals was to enhance strategies to lead their country towards independence and technical progress, which partly coincided with foreign didactic currents. The discussion on geometry teaching is connected to the van Hiele theory of the 1950s on geometric thinking.