A case study exploring students’ conceptions of proof within a Year 10 Mathematics classroom
Darion Mayes
(PGCE Secondary Mathematics, 2022-2023)
email: darionjmayes@cantab.net
Abstract
The difficulty in the transition to studying mathematics at university has been documented and studied by a number of previous authors. In this paper, one aspect of this transition – the study of mathematical proof – is examined in more depth through a case study of a high attaining Year 10 class. The results of this case study, whilst necessarily tentative, indicate that students exhibit a pattern of misconceptions regarding proof which is corroborated by larger-scale studies both nationally and internationally. Furthermore, data collected from student interviews during this case study is used to suggest a novel explanation of some of these misconceptions. This explanation connects mathematical proof to broader topics, such as maths anxiety, which potentially merits further investigation.
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The full paper is available for download as a pdf file: 109-138mayesd
Citation: Mayes, D. (2024). A case study exploring students’ conceptions of proof within a Year 10 Mathematics classroom. Journal of Trainee Teacher Educational Research, Volume 15 pp. 109-138. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.109346