ERIC Number: EJ1125630
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1098-6065
EISSN: N/A
The State of Proof in Finnish and Swedish Mathematics Textbooks--Capturing Differences in Approaches to Upper-Secondary Integral Calculus
Mathematical Thinking and Learning: An International Journal, v19 n1 p1-18 2017
Students' difficulties with proof, scholars' calls for proof to be a consistent part of K-12 mathematics, and the extensive use of textbooks in mathematics classrooms motivate investigations on how proof-related items are addressed in mathematics textbooks. We contribute to textbook research by focusing on opportunities to learn proof-related reasoning in integral calculus, a key subject in transitioning from secondary to tertiary education. We analyze expository sections and nearly 2000 students' exercises in the four most frequently used Finnish and Swedish textbook series. Results indicate that Finnish textbooks offer more opportunities for learning proof than do Swedish textbooks. Proofs are also more visible in Finnish textbooks than in Swedish materials, but the tasks in the latter reflect a higher variation in nature of proof-related reasoning. Our results are compared with methodologically similar U.S. studies. Consequences for learning and transition to university mathematics, as well as directions for future research, are discussed.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Comparative Education, Textbook Content, Mathematical Logic, Secondary School Mathematics, Calculus, Content Analysis, Mathematics Instruction
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Finland; Sweden
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A