Proof by mathematical induction poses a persistent challenge for students enrolled in proofs-based mathematics courses. Prior research indicates a number of related factors that contribute to the challenge, and suggests fruitful instructional approaches to support students in meeting that challenge. In particular, researchers have suggested…

The aim of this study is to explore how structural and process aspects of secondary school students' mathematical reasoning support each other in a collaborative learning environment through the integration of "GeoGebra" software and the ACODESA method. The study involved four eighth-grade secondary school students, who participated in…

This study investigates teachers' perspectives on the use of a mathematical argumentation teaching strategy in elementary mathematics in which students disprove mathematical statements they already know to be false. Mathematical argumentation is a process through which students develop an argument about a mathematical concept and rationalize its…

Comparison is a powerful and important way that we learn. To support teachers in the use of comparison in their instruction, the authors developed an instructional routine called compare and discuss multiple strategies (CDMS). Similar to other instructional routines, CDMS is a structured, specific, repeatable minilesson that teachers can use to…

The mathematics classroom is particularly vulnerable to these judgments of perfectionism, with endless evidence of students and teachers believing that mathematics is based on an ultimate truth or a single, objective, unique answer. School mathematics still favors students' participation in rote procedures, memorization, and using only a few…

In this paper, we report on the pedagogical actions of one teacher in eliciting and developing students' mathematical reasoning during one mathematics lesson. The findings illustrate that through the careful design and planning of a contextually relevant task (the construction of a manu tukutuku), and the implementation of specific teacher…

Mathematical argumentation is generally thought to be the paradigm of cogent reasoning. The concept of mathematical proof thus seems to be associated with necessity and enforcement, but not with freedom; however, in various ways a reference to freedom is also needed to understand the phenomenon of mathematical proof, for example, to distinguish it…

One pedagogical approach to challenge a persistent misconception is to get students to test a conjecture whereby they are confronted with the misconception. A common misconception about a 'direct linear relationship' between area and perimeter is well-documented. In this study, Year 4-6 students were presented with a conjecture that a rectangle…

The formal acceptance of a mathematical proof is based on its logical correctness but, from a cognitive point of view, this form of acceptance is not always naturally associated with the feeling that the proof has necessarily proved the statement. This is the case, in particular, for proof by contradiction in geometry, which can be linked to a…

This article examines a common proportional reasoning problem used in schools, often referred to as the Orange Juice task. The authors show how these six strategies described by Nikula (e.g., Unitizing, Norming, etc.) and one additional strategy can be used to either solve or make progress in the Orange Juice task. The article presents work from…

The traditional view of evidence in mathematics is that evidence is just proof and proof is just derivation. There are good reasons for thinking that this view should be rejected: it misrepresents both historical and current mathematical practice. Nonetheless, evidence, proof, and derivation are closely intertwined. This paper seeks to tease these…

Thinking is a tool to construct knowledge in learning mathematics. However, some college students have not been fully aware of the importance of constructing their knowledge. Therefore, this study aims to explore students' thinking processes in completing mathematical proofs through assimilation and accommodation schemes. This research was…

Should proof by induction be reserved for higher levels of mathematical instruction? How can teachers show students the nature of mathematics without first requiring that they master algebra and calculus? Proof by induction is one of the more difficult types of proof to teach, to learn, and to understand. Thus, this article delves deeper into…

We investigate teacher beliefs about discourses for equation solving and the challenges these beliefs might pose for the implementation of instructional practices that promote deductive reasoning in algebra. To uncover these beliefs, we recorded three video explanations of solutions to the same linear equation with distinct discursive…

The research on deductive reasoning in mathematics education has been predominantly associated with the study of proof; consequently, there is a lack of studies on logical reasoning per se, especially with young children. Analytical reasoning problems are adequate tasks to engage the solver in deductive reasoning, as they require rule checking and…