[Maths-Education] Newsletter on Proof

[B.Jaworski at lboro.ac.uk]

Dear David and All,
I would like to recommend a Thesis, defended in 2006, by Kirsti Hemmi a Finnish mathematics education researcher who lives in Sweden. (I'm copying this to her.)
The title is: "Approaching Proof in a Community of Mathematical Practice".
She interviewed mathematicians and students in a university mathematics department concerning their perspectives on proof and analysed her data using a Community of Practice model based in the work of Lave and Wenger as well as the wider literature on proof.
I hope she will respond to this and tell you how you can access her thesis.
Regards
Barbara
 

-----Original Message-----
From: maths-education-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk [mailto:maths-education-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Nicolas Balacheff
Sent: 18 November 2008 07:26
To: David H Kirshner
Cc: Mathematics Education discussion forum
Subject: Re: [Maths-Education] Newsletter on Proof

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David H Kirshner wrote:
>> I would put nuances on the claim that "expertise in proof is primarily a matter of social development ", and prefer to say that from a learning perspective social interaction may be a lever and sometimes also an obstacle due to the intrinsic linguistic, cognitive and social properties of argumentation.
>>     
>
> Yes, most theorists considering the development of proof competencies would be uncomfortable with an analysis circumscribed by the social. But are there no voices in the literature urging just such a radical departure?
>   
I am not aware of such a radical position. But there several projects 
with a strong social approach (which could be socio-psychology, 
socio-linguistic, social interaction -- although there are relations, 
there are also important differences). I would suggest works from Cobb, 
Brousseau, Ball, Herbst, Bartolini-Bussi and Boero, and others, I have 
not mase a systematic search. I send you an old paper of mine (different 
mail), just to give you an idea of the way I understand this issue.
Best
Nicolas

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