Citation

Ayalon M, Even R. Int. J. Sci. Math Educ 2010; 8(6): 1131-1154.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010)

DOI

10.1007/s10763-010-9238-z

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study examines the views of people involved in mathematics education regarding the commonly stated goal of using mathematics learning to develop deductive reasoning that is usable outside of mathematical contexts. The data source includes 21 individual semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study show that the interviewees ascribed different meanings to the above-stated goal. Moreover, none of them said that it is possible to develop formal logic-based reasoning useful outside of mathematics, but for different reasons. Three distinct views were identified: the intervention-argumentation view, the reservation-deductive view, and the spontaneity-systematic view. Each interviewee's view was interrelated with the interviewee's approach to deductive reasoning and its nature in mathematics and outside it.

Language: en