Journal Article

Reasoning and Proof in Algebra: The Case of Three Reform-Oriented Textbooks in China

Qi, Chunxia, Wang, Jiayao, Fu, Yu

2022

Overview

Examining the narratives of algebra content of three popular series of mathematics textbooks in China, this study explored the opportunities for students to learn about reasoning and proof (RP). In this study, we incorporated Davis’s subdivision of conjecture into Stylianides’s framework. Based on this, we analysed the components of RP (patterns, conjectures, proofs and non-proof arguments), as well as the purposes of each component respectively. The results show that the proportion of RP tasks was less than 40% and there was no significant statistical difference in the number of RP components by grade among the three series of textbooks. On the other hand, across topic levels, there was a significant statistical difference in RP tasks. Furthermore, there were only a few opportunities for developing conjecture precursors and proof precursors. Based on them, we discussed the arrangement and features of Chinese textbooks to explain these differences.

• Publisher: Springer International Publishing,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Algebra / Calculus / Compulsory Education / Computation / Critical Thinking / Curricula / Education / Educational Change / Educational Experience / Educational technology / Engineering/Technology Education / Evaluative Thinking / Foreign Countries / Geometry / Grade 7 / Influence of Technology / Instructional Program Divisions / Learning / Literature Reviews / Mathematical Logic / Mathematics / Mathematics Achievement / Mathematics Curriculum / Mathematics Education / Mathematics Instruction / Mathematics Skills / Mathematics Teachers / Number Concepts / Opportunities / Precursors / Reasoning / Science Education / Secondary Education / Secondary School Students / Secondary schools / Statistical analysis / Students / Teachers / Teaching / Textbook Content / Textbooks / Validity / World Problems