• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.20 no.3 s.27
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• pp.373-389
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to compare the way of proving using combinational proof with the way of proving presented in the existing math textbook in the proof of combinational equation and to classify the problem-solving into some categories using combinational proof in combinational equation. Corresponding with these, this study suggests the application of combinational equation using combinational proof and the fundamental material to develop material for advanced study.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.65-89
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• 2022

Despite its recognition in the field of mathematics education and mathematics, students' understanding about proof and performance on proof tasks have been far from promising. Research has documented that teachers tend to accept empirical arguments as proofs. In this study, an online survey was administered to examine how Korean secondary mathematic teachers make judgements on mathematical arguments varied along representations. The results indicate that, when asked to judge how convincing to their students the given arguments would be, the teachers tended to consider how likely students understand the given arguments and this surfaces as a controversial matter with the algebraic argument being both most and least convincing for their students. The teachers' judgements on the algebraic argument were shown to have statistically significant difference with respect to convincingness to them, convincingness to their students, and validity as mathematical proof.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.291-315
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• 2001

There are some problems in the introduction of proof in middle school mathematics. Among the problems, one is the use of postulates and the another is the methods of proof how to connect a statement with others. The first case has been treated mainly in this note. Since proof means to state the reason logically why the statement is true on the basis of others which have already been known as true and basic properties, in order to prove logically, it is necessary to take the basic properties and the statement known already as true. But the students don't know well what are the basic properties and the statement known already as true for proving. No use of the term postulation(or axiom) cause the confusion to distinguish postulation and theorem. So they don't know which statements are accepted without proof or not accepted without proof, To solve this problems, it is necessary to use the term postulate in middle school mathematics. In middle school mathematics, we present same model of the introduction of proof which are used the postulates needed for the proof.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.255-278
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• 2021

Proof serves a critical role in mathematical practices as well as in fostering student's mathematical understanding. However, the research literature accumulates results that there are not many opportunities available for students to engage with proving-related activities and that students' understanding about proof is not promising. This unpromising state of instruction of proof calls for a novel approach to address the aforementioned issues. This study investigated an instruction of proof to explore a pedagogy to teach how to prove. The teacher utilized the way of problem posing to make proving a routine part of everyday lesson and changed the classroom culture to support student proving. The study identified the teacher's support for student proving, the key pedagogical changes that embraced proving as part of everyday lesson, and what changes the teacher made to cultivate the classroom culture to be better suited for establishing a supportive community for student proving. The results indicate that problem posing has a potential to embrace proof into everyday lesson.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.157-173
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• 2024

Researchers continue to emphasize the centrality of proof in the context of school mathematics and the importance of proof to student learning of mathematics is well articulated in nationwide curricula. However, researchers reported that students' performance in proving tasks is not promising and students are not likely to see the need to prove a proposition even if they learned mathematical proof previously. Research attributes this issue to students' tendencies to accept an empirical argument as proof for a mathematical proposition, thus not being able to recognize the limitation of an empirical argument as proof for a mathematical proposition. In Korea, there is little research that investigated high school students' views about the need for proof in mathematics and their understanding of the limitation of an empirical argument as proof for a mathematical generalization. Sixty-two 11^th graders were invited to participate in an online survey and the responses were recorded in writing and on either a four- or five-point Likert scale. The students were asked to express their agreement with the need of proof in school mathematics and to evaluate a set of mathematical arguments as to whether the given arguments were proofs. Results indicate that a slight majority of students were able to identify a proof amongst the given arguments with the vast majority of students acknowledging the need for proof in mathematics.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.513-528
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• 2014

This study is intended to examine 36 in-service secondary school mathematics teachers' conceptions of proof in the context of mathematics and mathematics education. The results suggest that almost teachers recognize the role as justification well but have the insufficient conceptions about another various roles of proof in mathematics. The results further suggest that many of teachers have vague concept-images in relation with the requirement of proof and recognize the insufficiency about the actual teaching of proof. Based on the results, implications for revision of mathematics curriculum and mathematics teacher education are discussed.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.387-398
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• 2009

In this paper, we investigated the influence of technology, which gave an impact on students through the process of teaching & learning for the proof of an additive law of sine function in the mathematics education for the gifted. We chose students who were taking a course in enrichment mathematics at Science Education Institute for the Gifted in Mokpo National University, and analyzed their processes of a mathematical inference or conjecture, an algebraic description and a proof by visualization using technology. We found the following facts. That is, the visualization using technology is helpful to the gifted students in understanding principles and concepts of mathematics by intuition. Also, it is helpful to ones verifying various cases and generalizing principles. But, using technology can be a factor that disturbs learning of students who are clumsy with operating technology.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.123-145
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• 2013

This study was expected to yield the meaningful conclusions from the experimental group who took lessons based on inductive activities using GeoGebra at the beginning of proof learning and the comparison one who took traditional expository lessons based on deductive activities. The purpose of this study is to give some helpful suggestions for teaching proof to mathematically gifted elementary students. To attain the purpose, two research questions are established as follows. 1. Is there a significant difference in proof abilities between the experimental group who took inductive lessons using GeoGebra and comparison one who took traditional expository lessons? 2. Is there a significant difference in proof attitudes between the experimental group who took inductive lessons using GeoGebra and comparison one who took traditional expository lessons? To solve the above two research questions, they were divided into two groups, an experimental group of 10 students and a comparison group of 10 students, considering the results of gift and aptitude test, and the computer literacy among 20 elementary students that took lessons at some education institute for the gifted students located in K province after being selected in the mathematics. Special lesson based on the researcher's own lesson plan was treated to the experimental group while explanation-centered class based on the usual 8th grader's textbook was put into the comparison one. Four kinds of tests were used such as previous proof ability test, previous proof attitude test, subsequent proof ability test, and subsequent proof attitude test. One questionnaire survey was used only for experimental group. In the case of attitude toward proof test, the score of questions was calculated by 5-point Likert scale, and in the case of proof ability test was calculated by proper rating standard. The analysis of materials were performed with t-test using the SPSS V.18 statistical program. The following results have been drawn. First, experimental group who took proof lessons of inductive activities using GeoGebra as precedent activity before proving had better achievement in proof ability than the comparison group who took traditional proof lessons. Second, experimental group who took proof lessons of inductive activities using GeoGebra as precedent activity before proving had better achievement in the belief and attitude toward proof than the comparison group who took traditional proof lessons. Third, the survey about 'the effect of inductive activities using GeoGebra on the proof' shows that 100% of the students said that the activities were helpful for proof learning and that 60% of the reasons were 'because GeoGebra can help verify processes visually'. That means it gives positive effects on proof learning that students research constant character and make proposition by themselves justifying assumption and conclusion by changing figures through the function of estimation and drag in investigative software GeoGebra. In conclusion, this study may provide helpful suggestions in improving geometry education, through leading students to learn positive and active proof, connecting the learning processes such as induction based on activity using GeoGebra, simple deduction from induction(i.e. creating a proposition to distinguish between assumptions and conclusions), and formal deduction(i.e. proving).

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.441-466
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• 2011

In this article, we study on the teaching design, focused on the geometric methods, of 2-D isoperimetric problem for the elementary mathematically gifted students. For our teaching design, we discussed the ideals of Zenodorus's polygon proof, Steiner's four-hinge proof, Steiner's mean boundary proof, Steiner's snowball-packing proof, Edler's finite existence proof and Lawlor's dissection proof, and then the ideals achieved were modified with the theoretical backgrounds-the theory of Freudenthal's mathematisation, the method of analysis-synthesis. We expect that this article would contribute to the elementary mathematically gifted students to acquire and to improve spatial sense.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.275-296
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate the change of gaze and the change of the proof learning achievement after learning the analytic method for proof to mathematical gifted students using eye tracking technique. In order to complete the purpose of this study, a mixed method research was used, that is a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods. Quantitative analysis was conducted based on the data obtained through the eye tracker, and qualitative analysis was also done using post interview data to make up for the quantitative analysis. The subjects of this study were 8 mathematical gifted 3rd grade middle school students in the gifted education center. The conclusions of this study are as follows. First, the learning of analysis leads to a change of gaze in the proof learning of students. The students, after learning the analysis, moved their gaze from the bottom to the top when solving the proof problem, and the occupancy rate of the gaze to the bottom of the proof was higher than the higher part. Second, the change of gaze caused by the learning of the analysis have a correlation with the achievement of the proof learning and it can be seen that the method learning improves the achievement of the proof learning of the students.