Research Article

The Nature of Middle School In-Service Teachers’ Engagements in Proving-Related Activities

Volume: 48 Number: 1 April 21, 2019
TR EN

The Nature of Middle School In-Service Teachers’ Engagements in Proving-Related Activities

Abstract

Although reasoning and proof in learning and teaching mathematics is crucial and have gained more presence in school mathematics, both students and their teachers face great difficulties when engaging in proving activities. One potential cause for such difficulties might be due to teachers’ conception of proof. However, to date, there are few, if any, studies that have examined how secondary school in-service mathematics teachers learn justification and proof. Thus, in order to fill this gap, this study examines secondary school in-service teachers’ engagement in proving activities by providing observational data from a master’s level professional development course that focuses on teaching reasoning and proof. The findings from this work show that teachers were very successful at engaging in exploration of the proving tasks, but they fail to produce complete-deductive arguments. Some reasons behind this failure were teachers’ lack of a perceived need for justification and proof after exploring the task, and their lack of seeing algebraic symbolization as a viable means of expressing mathematical ideas.

Keywords

References

  1. Alibert, D. (1988). Toward new customs in the classrooms. For the Learning of Mathematics, 8(2), 31-43.
  2. Alibert, D., & Thomas, M. (1991). Research on mathematical proof. In D. Tall (Ed.) Advanced Mathematical Thinking (pp. 215-230). Kluwer: The Netherlands.
  3. Ball, D., Hoyles, C., Jahnke, H., & Movshovitz-Hadar, N. (2002). The teaching of proof. Paper presented at the International Congress of Mathematicians, Beijing, China.
  4. Bell, A. (1976). A study of pupils’ proof – explanations in mathematical situations. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 7, 23-40.
  5. Bieda (2010). Enacting proof-related tasks in middle school mathematics: challenges and opportunities. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 41(4), 351-382.
  6. Chazan, D. (1993). High school geometry students’ justification for their views of empirical evidence and mathematical proof. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 24, 359-387.
  7. Chazan, D., & Lueke, H. M. (2009). Exploring tensions between disciplinary knowledge and school mathematics: Implications for reasoning and proof in school mathematics. Teaching and learning mathematics proof across the grades, 21-39.
  8. Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Washington, DC: Council of Chief State School Officers.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Studies on Education

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

April 21, 2019

Submission Date

July 12, 2018

Acceptance Date

January 16, 2019

Published in Issue

Year 2019 Volume: 48 Number: 1

APA
Dogan, M. F. (2019). The Nature of Middle School In-Service Teachers’ Engagements in Proving-Related Activities. Çukurova Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 48(1), 100-130. https://doi.org/10.14812/cuefd.442893
AMA
1.Dogan MF. The Nature of Middle School In-Service Teachers’ Engagements in Proving-Related Activities. Çukurova Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi. 2019;48(1):100-130. doi:10.14812/cuefd.442893
Chicago
Dogan, Muhammed Fatih. 2019. “The Nature of Middle School In-Service Teachers’ Engagements in Proving-Related Activities”. Çukurova Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi 48 (1): 100-130. https://doi.org/10.14812/cuefd.442893.
EndNote
Dogan MF (April 1, 2019) The Nature of Middle School In-Service Teachers’ Engagements in Proving-Related Activities. Çukurova Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi 48 1 100–130.
IEEE
[1]M. F. Dogan, “The Nature of Middle School In-Service Teachers’ Engagements in Proving-Related Activities”, Çukurova Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 100–130, Apr. 2019, doi: 10.14812/cuefd.442893.
ISNAD
Dogan, Muhammed Fatih. “The Nature of Middle School In-Service Teachers’ Engagements in Proving-Related Activities”. Çukurova Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi 48/1 (April 1, 2019): 100-130. https://doi.org/10.14812/cuefd.442893.
JAMA
1.Dogan MF. The Nature of Middle School In-Service Teachers’ Engagements in Proving-Related Activities. Çukurova Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi. 2019;48:100–130.
MLA
Dogan, Muhammed Fatih. “The Nature of Middle School In-Service Teachers’ Engagements in Proving-Related Activities”. Çukurova Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 48, no. 1, Apr. 2019, pp. 100-3, doi:10.14812/cuefd.442893.
Vancouver
1.Muhammed Fatih Dogan. The Nature of Middle School In-Service Teachers’ Engagements in Proving-Related Activities. Çukurova Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi. 2019 Apr. 1;48(1):100-3. doi:10.14812/cuefd.442893

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