• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.521-538
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of teaching mathematical proofs that made use of the 'proof assisted cards' at the second year of middle school and to investigate students' ability to geometric proofs as well as changes of mathematical attitudes toward geometric proofs. The subjects are seven students at the 2nd year of D Middle School in Daegu who made use of the 'proof assisted cards' during five class periods. The researcher interviewed the students to investigate learning questions made by students as well as the 'proof assisted cards' before and after use. The findings are as follows: first, the students made change of geometric proof ability by proof activity with the 'proof assisted cards' and second, the students made significant change of mathematical attitudes toward geometric proofs by proof activity using the cards.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.15
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• pp.141-146
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• 2003

중학교 기하교육의 목적은 학생들의 수학적인 상황을 보는 기하학적인 직관과 논리적 추론능력의 향상이다. 그러나 이 두 가지 모두 만족스럽지 못한 실정이다. 본 고에서는 중학교 기하교육의 문제를 직관기하와 형식기하의 단절이라는 보고, 직관기하에서 증명의 학습요소를 미리 학습하여 직관기하와 형식기하를 연결하자는 대안을 제시한다. 이를 위해 7-나 교과서의 증명요소를 분석하고자 하였다. 관련문헌을 검토하여 7가지 증명의 학습요소를 선정한 후, 교과서를 분석하였다. 분석 결과, 기호화를 제외한 다른 증명의 학습요소는 매우 빈약한 것으로 나타났다. 직관기하 영역에 대한 교과서 구성이 개선될 필요가 있음을 알 수 있다.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.135-148
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• 2011

Middle school mathematics treats axiom as mere fact verified by experiment or observation and doesn't mention it axiom. But axiom is very important to understand the difference between empirical verification and mathematical proof, intuitive geometry and deductive geometry, proof and nonproof. This study analysed textbooks and surveyed gifted students' conception of axiom. The results showed the problem and limitation of middle school mathematics on the treatment of axiom and proof.

• School Mathematics
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.573-581
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• 2008

School geometry takes various approaches such as deductive, analytic, and vector methods. Especially, the mathematical connections between these methods are closely related to the mathematical connections between geometry and algebra. This article analysed the geometric consequences of vector algebra from the viewpoint of teacher's subject-matter knowledge and investigated the connections between the geometric proof and the algebraic proof with vector and inner product.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.585-604
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• 2013

This study is based on the problem that most middle school students cannot recognize the generality of geometrical theorems even after having proved them. By considering this problem from the point of view of empirical verification, the particularity of geometrical representations, and the role of geometrical variables, we suggest that some experiences in dynamic geometry environment (DGE) can help students to recognize the generality of geometrical theorems. That is, this study aims to observe students' cognitive changes related to their recognition of the generality and to provide some educational implications by making students experience some geometrical explorations in DGE. To do so, we selected three middle school students who couldn't recognize the generality of geometrical theorems although they completed their own proofs for the theorems. We provided them exploratory activities in DGE, and observed and analyzed their cognitive changes. Based on this analysis, we discussed the effects of DGE on studensts' recognition of the generality of geometrical theorems.

• School Mathematics
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.523-533
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• 2007

This article focused the meaning of Pythagoras' and Euclid's proof about the Pythagorean theorem in a historical and mathematical perspective. Pythagoras' proof using similarity is based on the arithmetic assumption about commensurability. However, Euclid proved the Pythagorean theorem again only using the concept of dissection-rearrangement that is purely geometric so that it does not need commensurability. Pythagoras' and Euclid's different approaches to geometry have to do with Birkhoff's axiom system and Hilbert's axiom system in the school geometry Birkhoff proposed the new axioms for plane geometry accepting real number that is strictly defined. Thus Birkhoff's metrical approach can be defined as a Pythagorean approach that developed geometry based on number. On the other hand, Hilbert succeeded Euclid who had pursued pure geometry that did not depend on number. The difference between the proof using similarity and dissection-rearrangement is related to the unsolved problem in the geometry curriculum that is conflict of Euclid's conventional synthetical approach and modern mathematical approach to geometry.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.173-192
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• 2013

It may be replacement proofs with understanding and explaining geometrical properties that was a remarkable change in school geometry of 2009 revised national curriculum for mathematics. That comes from the difficulties which students have experienced in learning proofs. This study focuses on one of those difficulties which are caused by the forms of proofs: using letters for designating some sides or angles in writing proofs and understanding some long sentences of proofs. To overcome it, this study aims to investigate the applicability of Byrne's method which uses coloured diagrams instead of letters. For this purpose, the proofs of three geometrical properties were taught to middle school students by Byrne's visual method using the original source, dynamic representations, and the teacher's manual drawing, respectively. Consequently, the applicability of Byrne's method was discussed based on its strengths and its weaknesses by analysing the results of students' worksheets and interviews and their teacher's interview. This analysis shows that Byrne's method may be helpful for students' understanding of given geometrical proofs rather than writing proofs.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.185-206
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• 2009

In the study, I conducted the teaching experiment designed to instruct proof to four 7th grade students by utilizing the analysis method. As the results of this study I could identified that it is effective to teach and learn to find proof methods using the analysis. The results of the study showed that four 7th grade students succeeded in finding the proof methods by utilizing the analysis and representing the proof after 15 hours of the teaching experiment. In addition to the difficulties that students faced in learning proof utilizing the analysis were related to the search for the light conditions for triangles to be congruent, symbolic representation of the proof methods, reinterpretation of drawings given in the proof problems.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.109-126
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• 2007

This paper is to study theorems related with congruence of triangles in Lobachevskii's and Hadamard's geometry textbooks, and to compare their proof methods. We find out that Lobachevskii's geometry textbook contains 5 theorems of triangles' congruence, but doesn't explain congruence of right triangles. In Hadamard's geometry textbook description system of the theorems of triangles' congruence is similar with our mathematics textbook. Hadamard's geometry textbook treat 3 theorems of triangles' congruence, and 2 theorems of right triangles' congruence. But in Hadamard's geometry textbook all theorems are proved.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.327-344
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• 2006

This study examined the proof levels and understanding of constituents of proving by three mathematically gifted 6th grade korean students, who belonged to the highest 1% in elementary school, through observation and interviews on the problem-solving process in relation to constructing a rectangle of which area equals the sum of two other rectangles. We assigned the students with Clairaut's geometric problems and analyzed their proof levels and their difficulties in thinking related to the understanding of constituents of proving. Analysis of data was made based on the proof level suggested by Waring (2000) and the constituents of proving presented by Galbraith(1981), Dreyfus & Hadas(1987), Seo(1999). As a result, we found out that the students recognized the meaning and necessity of proof, and they peformed some geometric proofs if only they had teacher's proper intervention.