La concepción de la simetría en estudiantes como un obstáculo epistemológico para el aprendizaje de la geometría

in this research the constitution in epistemological obstacle for learning the conception of geometry is analyzed as manifested by students regarding symmetry, referred as always preferable to use symmetrical figures in the analysis of geometrical problems. it is based on bachelard？s epistemological obstacle concept (1994) and the theory of didactical situations (brousseau, 1997; sierpinska, 1992). the study was non-experimental, transversal and descriptive. a random sample of 30 students from the geometry subject at the faculty of engineering at l.u.z. was used. indirect and external observation was used as well as individual semi-structured interviews. the generalized presence of the obstacle studied in the sample was concluded.