Introducing students and prospective teachers to the notion of proof in mathematics

Although the notion of proof is important for all learners’ mathematical experiences, there has been limited attention to what it might involve and look like to introduce students and prospective teachers to proof. In this paper we argue for the importance of having a coherent approach to introducin...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Stylianides, A.J (Author), Stylianides, G.J (Author)
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier Inc. 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:View Fulltext in Publisher
LEADER 01767nam a2200217Ia 4500
001 10.1016-j.jmathb.2022.100957
008 220517s2022 CNT 000 0 und d
020 |a 07323123 (ISSN) 
245 1 0 |a Introducing students and prospective teachers to the notion of proof in mathematics 
260 0 |b Elsevier Inc.  |c 2022 
856 |z View Fulltext in Publisher  |u https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmathb.2022.100957 
520 3 |a Although the notion of proof is important for all learners’ mathematical experiences, there has been limited attention to what it might involve and look like to introduce students and prospective teachers to proof. In this paper we argue for the importance of having a coherent approach to introducing students and prospective teachers to proof, and we discuss the theoretical basis of a learning trajectory relevant to both groups. We also discuss an instructional sequence that aimed to promote the learning trajectory among English secondary students and U.S. prospective elementary teachers, drawing on data from two multi-year design experiments. The learning trajectory comprises two milestones: (1) seeing a need to learn about proof and (2) developing an operationally functional conceptualization of proof. The “need” in milestone 1 entails an aspect of epistemological justification applicable to both students and prospective teachers, and a further aspect of pedagogical justification applicable to prospective teachers. © 2022 The Authors 
650 0 4 |a Intellectual need 
650 0 4 |a Intervention 
650 0 4 |a Proof 
650 0 4 |a School mathematics 
650 0 4 |a Task design 
650 0 4 |a Teacher education 
700 1 |a Stylianides, A.J.  |e author 
700 1 |a Stylianides, G.J.  |e author 
773 |t Journal of Mathematical Behavior