• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.313-326
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• 1998

The purpose of this study is to verify the meaning of preformal proof and its didactical significance in mathematics education. A preformal proof plays a more important role in mathematics education, because nowadays in mathematics a proof is considered as an important fact from a sociological point of view. A preformal proof was classified into four categories: a) action proof, b) geometric-intuitive proof, c) reality oriented proof, d) proof by generalization from paradiam. An educational significance of a preformal proof are followings: a) A proof is not identified with a formal proof. b) A proof is not only considered from a symbolic level, but also from enactive and iconic level. c) A preformal proof generates a formal proof and convinces pupils of a formal proof d) A preformal proof is psychologically natural. e) A preformal proof changes a conception of what is a proof. Therefore a preformal proof is expected to teach in school mathematics from the elementary school to the secondary school.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.381-390
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• 2004

In this study, we conceptualized the ‘preformal proof’, which is a transitive level of proof from the experimental and inductive justification to the formalized mathematical proof. We investigated concrete features of the preformal proof in the historico-genetic and the didactical situations. The preformal proof can get the generality of the contents of proof, which makes a distinction from the experimental proof. And we can draw a distinction between the preformal and formal proof, in point that the preformal proof heads for the reality-oriented objects and does not use the formal language.