• Title/Summary/Keyword: types of proof and reasoning

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A study of the types of students' justification and the use of dynamic software (학생들의 정당화 유형과 탐구형 소프트웨어의 활용에 관한 연구)

  • 류희찬;조완영
    • Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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    • v.9 no.1
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    • pp.245-261
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    • 1999
  • Proof is an essential characteristic of mathematics and as such should be a key component in mathematics education. But, teaching proof in school mathematics have been unsuccessful for many students. The traditional approach to proofs stresses formal logic and rigorous proof. Thus, most students have difficulties of the concept of proof and students' experiences with proof do not seem meaningful to them. However, different views of proof were asserted in the reassessment of the foundations of mathematics and the nature of mathematical truth. These different views of justification need to be reflected in demonstrative geometry classes. The purpose of this study is to characterize the types of students' justification in demonstrative geometry classes taught using dynamic software. The types of justification can be organized into three categories : empirical justification, deductive justification, and authoritarian justification. Empirical justification are based on evidence from examples, whereas deductive justification are based logical reasoning. If we assume that a strong understanding of demonstrative geometry is shown when empirical justification and deductive justification coexist and benefit from each other, then students' justification should not only some empirical basis but also use chains of deductive reasoning. Thus, interaction between empirical and deductive justification is important. Dynamic geometry software can be used to design the approach to justification that can be successful in moving students toward meaningful justification of ideas. Interactive geometry software can connect visual and empirical justification to higher levels of geometric justification with logical arguments in formal proof.

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An Influence of GSP to Learning Process of Proof of Middle School Students: Case Study (GSP가 중학생들의 증명학습에 미치는 영향: 사례연구)

  • Shin, Yu-Kyoung;Kang, Yun-Soo;Jung, In-Chul
    • Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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    • v.11 no.1
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    • pp.55-68
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    • 2008
  • In this paper, we investigated difficulties that middle school students face in the teaming process of proof, and then inquired how does learning of proof using GSP ease students' difficulties. Throughout the inspection, we identified that students have difficulties in understanding process of premise and conclusion, use of notation, process of reasoning. And we identified, throughout learning process of proof using GSP, students can be feedbacked for their guess or reasoning, generalize the special case to general properties and have attitude checking ideas needed in proof by themselves.

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A study on mathematical justification activities in elementary school (초등학생의 수학적 정당화에 관한 연구)

  • 권성룡
    • Education of Primary School Mathematics
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    • v.7 no.2
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    • pp.85-99
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    • 2003
  • In this paper, firstly examined various proofs types that cover informal empirical justifications by Balacheff, Miyazaki, and Harel & Sowder and Tall. Using these theoretical frameworks, justification activities by 5th graders were analyzed and several conclusions were drawn as follow: 1) Children in 5th grade could justify using various proofs types and method ranged from external proofs schemes by Harel & Sowder to thought experiment by Balacheff This implies that children in elementary school can justify various mathematical statements of ideas for themselves. To improve children's proving abilities, rich experience for justifying should be provided. 2) Activities that make conjectures from cases then justify should be given to students in order to develop a sense of necessity of formal proof. 3) Children have to understand the meaning and usage of mathematical symbol to advance to formal deductive proofs. 4) New theoretical framework is needed to be established to provide a framework for research on elementary school children's justification activities. Research on proof mainly focused on the type of proof in terms of reasoning and activities involved. But proof types are also influenced by the tasks given. In elementary school, tasks that require physical activities or examples are provided. To develop students'various proof types, tasks that require various justification methods should be provided. 5) Children's justification type were influenced not only by development level but also by the concept they had. 6) Justification activities provide useful situation that assess students'mathematical understanding. 7) Teachers understanding toward role of proof(verification, explanation, communication, discovery, systematization) should be the starting point of proof activities.

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A Comparative Study of the Mathematics Textbooks' Tasks of Korea and the USA : Focused on Conditions for Parallelograms (우리나라와 미국 수학 교과서의 과제 비교 : 평행사변형 조건을 중심으로)

  • Jung, Hye Yun;Lee, Kyeong Hwa
    • School Mathematics
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    • v.18 no.4
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    • pp.749-771
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    • 2016
  • The purpose of this study is to analyze mathematical tasks of Korea and the USA textbooks focused on conditions for parallelograms. In this study, structures of task, types of proof and reasoning, and levels of cognitive demand are investigated. The conclusion is as follows: First, with respect to structures of task, structures presented in the USA textbooks are more diverse. Second, with respect to types of proof and reasoning, Korea and the USA prefer IC task and DA task. And task types presented in the USA textbooks are more diverse. Third, with respect to levels of cognitive demand, in both Korea and the USA textbooks, PNC task and PWC task account most. And compared to the USA, Korea prefer algorithms. In addition, we find out implications for reconstruction of Korea textbook. It is as follows: First, with respect to structures of task and types of proof and reasoning, the diversity of composition needs to be raised. Second, with respect to levels of cognitive demand, the concentration in PNC task needs to be declined. And levels of cognitive demand on types of tasks need to be reconsidered. Third, with respect to tasks' topic and material, internal and external connectivities of mathematics need to be strengthened.

A Study on Error Analysis and Correction Method in Proof Problems of Matrix (행렬의 명제 문제에 대한 오류 분석 및 교정 지도 방안에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Hye-Jin;Kim, Won-Kyung
    • The Mathematical Education
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    • v.49 no.2
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    • pp.161-174
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    • 2010
  • The purpose of the study is to analyze various types of errors appeared in true-false proof problems of matrix and to find out correction method. In order to achieve this purpose, error test was conducted to the subject of 87 second grade students who were chosen from D high schoool. It was shown from this test that the most frequent error type was caused by the lack of understanding about concepts and essential facts of matrix(35.3%), and then caused by the invalid logically reasoning (27.4%), and then caused by the misusing conditions(18.7%). Through three hours of correction lessons with 5 students, the following correction teaching method was proposed. First, it is stressed that the operation rules and properties satisfied in real number system can not be applied in matrix. Second, it is taught that the analytical proof method and the reductio ad absurdum method are useful in the proof problem of matrix. Third, it is explained that the counter example of E=$\begin{pmatrix}1\;0\\0\;1 \end{pmatrix}$, -E should be found in proof of the false statement. Fourth, it is taught that the determinant condition should be checked for the existence of the inverse matrix.

Analysis on Students' Abilities of Proof in Middle School (중학교 학생의 증명 능력 분석)

  • 서동엽
    • Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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    • v.9 no.1
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    • pp.183-203
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    • 1999
  • In this study, we analysed the constituents of proof and examined into the reasons why the students have trouble in learning the proof, and proposed directions for improving the teaming and teaching of proof. Through the reviews of the related literatures and the analyses of textbooks, the constituents of proof in the level of middle grades in our country are divided into two major categories 'Constituents related to the construction of reasoning' and 'Constituents related to the meaning of proof. 'The former includes the inference rules(simplification, conjunction, modus ponens, and hypothetical syllogism), symbolization, distinguishing between definition and property, use of the appropriate diagrams, application of the basic principles, variety and completeness in checking, reading and using the basic components of geometric figures to prove, translating symbols into literary compositions, disproof using counter example, and proof of equations. The latter includes the inferences, implication, separation of assumption and conclusion, distinguishing implication from equivalence, a theorem has no exceptions, necessity for proof of obvious propositions, and generality of proof. The results from three types of examinations; analysis of the textbooks, interview, writing test, are summarized as following. The hypothetical syllogism that builds the main structure of proofs is not taught in middle grades explicitly, so students have more difficulty in understanding other types of syllogisms than the AAA type of categorical syllogisms. Most of students do not distinguish definition from property well, so they find difficulty in symbolizing, separating assumption from conclusion, or use of the appropriate diagrams. The basic symbols and principles are taught in the first year of the middle school and students use them in proving theorems after about one year. That could be a cause that the students do not allow the exact names of the principles and can not apply correct principles. Textbooks do not describe clearly about counter example, but they contain some problems to solve only by using counter examples. Students have thought that one counter example is sufficient to disprove a false proposition, but in fact, they do not prefer to use it. Textbooks contain some problems to prove equations, A=B. Proving those equations, however, students do not perceive that writing equation A=B, the conclusion of the proof, in the first line and deforming the both sides of it are incorrect. Furthermore, students prefer it to developing A to B. Most of constituents related to the meaning of proof are mentioned very simply or never in textbooks, so many students do not know them. Especially, they accept the result of experiments or measurements as proof and prefer them to logical proof stated in textbooks.

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An Analysis of Students' Understanding of Mathematical Concepts and Proving - Focused on the concept of subspace in linear algebra - (대학생들의 증명 구성 방식과 개념 이해에 대한 분석 - 부분 공간에 대한 증명 과정을 중심으로 -)

  • Cho, Jiyoung;Kwon, Oh Nam
    • School Mathematics
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    • v.14 no.4
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    • pp.469-493
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    • 2012
  • The purpose of this study is find the relation between students' concept and types of proof construction. For this, four undergraduate students majored in mathematics education were evaluated to examine how they understand mathematical concepts and apply their concepts to their proving. Investigating students' proof with their concepts would be important to find implications for how students have to understand formal concepts to success in proving. The participants' proof productions were classified into syntactic proof productions and semantic proof productions. By comparing syntactic provers and semantic provers, we could reveal that the approaches to find idea for proof were different for two groups. The syntactic provers utilized procedural knowledges which had been accumulated from their proving experiences. On the other hand, the semantic provers made use of their concept images to understand why the given statements were true and to get a key idea for proof during this process. The distinctions of approaches to proving between two groups were related to students' concepts. Both two types of provers had accurate formal concepts. But the syntactic provers also knew how they applied formal concepts in proving. On the other hand, the semantic provers had concept images which contained the details and meaning of formal concept well. So they were able to use their concept images to get an idea of proving and to express their idea in formal mathematical language. This study leads us to two suggestions for helping students prove. First, undergraduate students should develop their concept images which contain meanings and details of formal concepts in order to produce a meaningful proof. Second, formal concepts with procedural knowledge could be essential to develop informal reasoning into mathematical proof.

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A Study on Mathematical Justification of Elementary School Teachers (초등학교 교사들의 수학적 정당화에 대한 연구)

  • Kim, Jeong-Ha;Kang, Moon-Bong
    • 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.

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First-year Undergraduate Students' Understanding about Statements (대학 신입생들의 명제에 대한 이해)

  • Kim, Young-Ok
    • School Mathematics
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    • v.11 no.2
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    • pp.261-280
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    • 2009
  • This study was motivated by recognizing the weakness of teaching and learning about the concepts of statements in high school mathematics curriculum. To report the reality of students' understanding about statements, this study investigated the 33 first-year undergraduate students' understanding about the concepts of statements by giving them 22 statement problems. The problems were selected based on the conceptual framework including five types of statement concepts which are considered as the key ideas for understanding mathematical reasoning and proof in college level mathematics. The analysis of the participants' responses to the statement problems found that their understanding about the concepts of prepositions are very limited and extremely based on the instrumental understanding applying an appropriate remembered rule to the solution of a preposition problem without knowing why the rule works. The results from this study will give the information for effective teaching and learning of statements in college level mathematics, and give the direction for the future reforming the unite of statements in high school mathematics curriculum as well.

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A Study on The Consumer Expectation - Performance according to the Types of Internet Shopping Malls (인터넷 쇼핑몰 유형에 따른 소비자 기대-성과에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, In-Ku;Ryoo, Hak-Soo
    • Korean Business Review
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    • v.17 no.2
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    • pp.63-87
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    • 2004
  • To create and maintain comparative supremacy as a strategic tool of business, many organizations have introduced informational technology and system. By using this system, Some companies got a beneficial value for achieving organizational goals but others could not obtain their effectiveness and efficiency. In particular, a lot of organizations that tried to make strategic supremacy with e-commercial trade are under hard condition because of poor profit. It implies that it is essential to identify and analyse the consumer who uses e-commercial trade. This paper, therefore, focusing on internet shopping malls between business and consumer as one of areas of e-commercial trades, shows the difference between consumer expectation and performance. The results of this study are as follows: First, as for the significant difference of influencing factors to consumer satisfactions according to the types of internet shopping malls, there is a meaningful difference in consumer anxiety and internet usefulness, but not in consumer service. Prior to verify the differences in detail on consumer's anxiety and internet usefulness, we examined that there is any difference between expectation and performance. T-test was used for the variants of consumer anxiety and internet usefulness, and its meaningful probability was 0.000, which means that both showed statistically significant difference. Based on the results, we also found that regardless of the types of internet shopping malls, consumer expectation was greater than performance. although the difference between expectation and performance was not equal according to the internet shopping malls. Second, a regression analysis was performed to understand the relation between consumer service, internet usefulness, consumer anxiety, and consumer satisfaction, it was found that consumer service, internet usefulness, consumer anxiety had significantly effected on consumer satisfaction. Third, To verify the relation between consumer satisfaction and repurchase-intentions, intentions to spread out, Pearson correlation analysis was used. it was found that consumer satisfaction had positive effect on both intentions. This study has some limitations because of the shorts of money and time. since the sample of this study was consumers who have ever bought one or more products via internet shopping mall, this sample was appropriate. but the major parts of sample were college students, and the sample size was so small. therefore this results should carefully be generalized. For further study, it is required to select more precise samples and to include more variables.

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