A sample of 30 students, ten from Year 1, nine from Year 3 students and eleven from Year
5 was drawn from a NSW Department of Education and Training school in a lower socioeconomic
area of Sydney. Interviews were administered on a one-to-one basis by the chief
investigator. During the interview the students were given the opportunity to represent their
visualisations in a variety of ways before and after they had observed and manipulated actual
shapes. Responses were recorded on an audiotape and students' drawings and explanations
were retained for later analysis. Solution methods were coded for correct, incorrect, or nonresponse
before being analysed for key mathematical aspects. A coding scheme was devised
and later revised after analysis had been complete. Coding of responses was supervised and recoded
by an independent coder. Classification of responses reflected 80% agreement between
coders for the purpose of initial pilot analysis.