Facilitating the transition from empirical arguments to proof

Although students of all levels of education face serious difficulties with proof, there is limited research knowledge about how instruction can help students overcome these difficulties. In this article, we discuss the theoretical foundation and implementation of an instructional sequence that aime...

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Main Authors: Stylianides, G, Stylianides, A
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2009
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author Stylianides, G
Stylianides, A
author_facet Stylianides, G
Stylianides, A
author_sort Stylianides, G
collection OXFORD
description Although students of all levels of education face serious difficulties with proof, there is limited research knowledge about how instruction can help students overcome these difficulties. In this article, we discuss the theoretical foundation and implementation of an instructional sequence that aimed to help students begin to realize the limitations of empirical arguments as methods for validating mathematical generalizations and see an intellectual need to learn about secure methods for validation (i.e., proofs). The devel- opment of the instructional sequence was part of a 4-year design experiment that we conducted in an undergraduate mathematics course, prerequisite for admission to an elementary (Grades K-6) teaching certification program. We focus on the implemen- tation of the instructional sequence in the last of 5 research cycles of our design exper- iment to exemplify our theoretical framework (in which cognitive conflict played a major role) and to discuss the promise of the sequence to support the intended learning goals.
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spelling oxford-uuid:029be6db-08c4-45bc-8735-4b86fa2f71572022-03-26T08:41:40ZFacilitating the transition from empirical arguments to proofJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:029be6db-08c4-45bc-8735-4b86fa2f7157EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2009Stylianides, GStylianides, AAlthough students of all levels of education face serious difficulties with proof, there is limited research knowledge about how instruction can help students overcome these difficulties. In this article, we discuss the theoretical foundation and implementation of an instructional sequence that aimed to help students begin to realize the limitations of empirical arguments as methods for validating mathematical generalizations and see an intellectual need to learn about secure methods for validation (i.e., proofs). The devel- opment of the instructional sequence was part of a 4-year design experiment that we conducted in an undergraduate mathematics course, prerequisite for admission to an elementary (Grades K-6) teaching certification program. We focus on the implemen- tation of the instructional sequence in the last of 5 research cycles of our design exper- iment to exemplify our theoretical framework (in which cognitive conflict played a major role) and to discuss the promise of the sequence to support the intended learning goals.
spellingShingle Stylianides, G
Stylianides, A
Facilitating the transition from empirical arguments to proof
title Facilitating the transition from empirical arguments to proof
title_full Facilitating the transition from empirical arguments to proof
title_fullStr Facilitating the transition from empirical arguments to proof
title_full_unstemmed Facilitating the transition from empirical arguments to proof
title_short Facilitating the transition from empirical arguments to proof
title_sort facilitating the transition from empirical arguments to proof
work_keys_str_mv AT stylianidesg facilitatingthetransitionfromempiricalargumentstoproof
AT stylianidesa facilitatingthetransitionfromempiricalargumentstoproof