Research Article

Thinking Through Russell’s Paradox: Logical, Epistemological, and Pedagogical Transformations in Pre-Service Teachers

Volume: 39 Number: 2 August 5, 2026
TR EN

Thinking Through Russell’s Paradox: Logical, Epistemological, and Pedagogical Transformations in Pre-Service Teachers

Abstract

This study examines how the paradoxical structure of set theory introduced by Bertrand Russell affects the thinking skills and pedagogical awareness of pre-service teachers. Conducted within a qualitative research framework, the study involved 30 mathematics education students enrolled in the faculty of education at a public university. The participants engaged in a multilayered instructional process structured around Russell’s Paradox. Observation notes, individual reflection forms, group discussions, and focus group interviews were used as data collection tools, and the obtained data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings reveal that the paradox generated transformations in pre-service teachers at the levels of conceptual rupture, logical reorganization, and pedagogical awareness. It was observed that Russell’s Paradox became not only a theoretical logical construct but also a powerful learning tool that triggered epistemological inquiry. In this context, the study suggests that paradoxes may offer significant contributions to teacher education by fostering critical thinking, developing strategies for coping with contradiction, and supporting the construction of teacher identity.

Keywords

References

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  8. Chinn, C. A., & Buckland, L. A. (2012). Epistemic cognition and evaluating information: Applying the AIR model of epistemic cognition. In M. A. McCrudden et al. (Eds.), Cognitive and metacognitive problem-solving strategies (pp. 69–96). Springer. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/9737.003.0025

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Mathematics Education

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

August 5, 2026

Submission Date

August 24, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 24, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 39 Number: 2

APA
Aksakallı, A. (2026). Thinking Through Russell’s Paradox: Logical, Epistemological, and Pedagogical Transformations in Pre-Service Teachers. Journal of Uludag University Faculty of Education, 39(2), 340-364. https://doi.org/10.19171/uefad.1771358
AMA
1.Aksakallı A. Thinking Through Russell’s Paradox: Logical, Epistemological, and Pedagogical Transformations in Pre-Service Teachers. Journal of Uludag University Faculty of Education. 2026;39(2):340-364. doi:10.19171/uefad.1771358
Chicago
Aksakallı, Ayhan. 2026. “Thinking Through Russell’s Paradox: Logical, Epistemological, and Pedagogical Transformations in Pre-Service Teachers”. Journal of Uludag University Faculty of Education 39 (2): 340-64. https://doi.org/10.19171/uefad.1771358.
EndNote
Aksakallı A (August 1, 2026) Thinking Through Russell’s Paradox: Logical, Epistemological, and Pedagogical Transformations in Pre-Service Teachers. Journal of Uludag University Faculty of Education 39 2 340–364.
IEEE
[1]A. Aksakallı, “Thinking Through Russell’s Paradox: Logical, Epistemological, and Pedagogical Transformations in Pre-Service Teachers”, Journal of Uludag University Faculty of Education, vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 340–364, Aug. 2026, doi: 10.19171/uefad.1771358.
ISNAD
Aksakallı, Ayhan. “Thinking Through Russell’s Paradox: Logical, Epistemological, and Pedagogical Transformations in Pre-Service Teachers”. Journal of Uludag University Faculty of Education 39/2 (August 1, 2026): 340-364. https://doi.org/10.19171/uefad.1771358.
JAMA
1.Aksakallı A. Thinking Through Russell’s Paradox: Logical, Epistemological, and Pedagogical Transformations in Pre-Service Teachers. Journal of Uludag University Faculty of Education. 2026;39:340–364.
MLA
Aksakallı, Ayhan. “Thinking Through Russell’s Paradox: Logical, Epistemological, and Pedagogical Transformations in Pre-Service Teachers”. Journal of Uludag University Faculty of Education, vol. 39, no. 2, Aug. 2026, pp. 340-64, doi:10.19171/uefad.1771358.
Vancouver
1.Ayhan Aksakallı. Thinking Through Russell’s Paradox: Logical, Epistemological, and Pedagogical Transformations in Pre-Service Teachers. Journal of Uludag University Faculty of Education. 2026 Aug. 1;39(2):340-64. doi:10.19171/uefad.1771358


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