• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.371-392
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• 2009

A lot of researches state mathematical justification is important. Specially, NCTM (2000) mentions that mathematical reasoning and proof should be taught every student from pre-primary school to 12 grades. Some of researches say elementary school students are also able to prove and justify their own solution(Lester, 1975; King, 1970, 1973; Reid, 2002). Balacheff(1987), Tall(1995), Harel & Sowder(1998, 2007), Simon & Blume(1996) categorize the level or the types of mathematical justification. We re-categorize the 4 types of mathematical justification basis on their studies; external conviction justification, empirical-inductive justification, generic justification, deductive justification. External conviction justification consists of authoritarian justification, ritual justification, non-referential symbolic justification. empirical-inductive justification consists of naive examples justification and crucial example justification. Generic justification consists of generic example and visual example. The results of this research are following. First, elementary school teachers in Korea respectively understand mathematical justification well. Second, elementary school teachers in Korea prefer deductive justification when they justify by themselves, while they prefer empirical-inductive justification when they teach students.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.159-178
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• 2003

This study analyzes on the reasoning in the process of justification and mathematical problem solving in our primary mathematics textbooks. In our analyses, we found that the inductive reasoning based on the paradima-tic example whose justification is founnded en a local deductive reasoning is the most important characteristics in our textbooks. We also found that some propositions on the properties of various quadrangles impose a deductive reasoning on primary students, which is very difficult to them. The inductive reasoning based on enumeration is used in a few cases, and analogies based on the similarity between the mathematical structures and the concrete materials are frequntly found. The exposition based en a paradigmatic example, which is the most important characteristics, have a problematic aspect that the level of reasoning is relatively low In Miyazaki's or Semadeni's respects. And some propositions on quadrangles is very difficult in Piagetian respects. As a result of our study, we propose that the level of reasoning in primary mathematics is leveled up by degrees, and the increasing levels are following: empirical justification on a paradigmatic example, construction of conjecture based on the example, examination on the various examples of the conjecture's validity, construction of schema on the generality, basic experiences for the relation of implication.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.299-314
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• 2008

The purposes of this study were to investigate what attitudes students have toward learning proofs and what difficulties they have in learning proofs, and to examine how the use of dynamic geometry software, the Geometer's Sketchpad, helps students' proof learning. The study involved 117 9th graders in 2 high schools. According to questionnaire data, over 50 percent of the total respondents(116) indicated negative attitudes toward learning proofs, on the other hand, only 16 percent of the total respondents indicated positive attitudes toward the learning. Memorizing and remembering many kinds of theorems, definitions, and postulates to use in proving statements was the most difficult part in learning proofs, which the largest proportion of the total respondents indicated. The study found that the use of the Geometer's Sketchpad played positive roles in developing students' understanding of proofs and stimulating students' interests in learning proofs.