HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF INFINITY

The aim of this study was to determine how secondary high students school studentsperceived the concept of infinity. Phenomenological design, which is among the qualitativeresearch methods, was used in this study. The participants of the study were 72 secondary highschool students (38 females and 34 males). An open-ended test and focus group discussionwere used as the data collection tools. Descriptive analysis and content analysis were usedin analyzing the data that was obtained from the study. Categories, codes and frequenciesabout the codes were formed, which were obtained from the analysis of discussion data. It wasfound that the students experienced a number of hesitations in one-to-one correspondence ofinfinite sets. The fact that the students observed that everything has an end through daily lifeexperiences limited their understanding of infinity. This condition does not fit the understandingof mathematical infinity. The understanding of mathematical infinity must be developed.