Semantic Contamination and Mathematical Proof: Can a Non-Proof Prove?

Autor/inn/en	Mejia-Ramos, Juan Pablo; Inglis, Matthew
Titel	Semantic Contamination and Mathematical Proof: Can a Non-Proof Prove?
Quelle	In: Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 30 (2011) 1, S.19-29 (11 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0732-3123
DOI	10.1016/j.jmathb.2010.11.005
Schlagwörter	Validity; Mathematical Logic; Mathematics; Mathematics Instruction; Mathematics Education; Evaluation; Experiments; Mathematical Concepts; Natural Language Processing + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Gültigkeit; Mathematical logics; Mathematische Logik; Mathematik; Mathematics lessons; Mathematikunterricht; Mathematische Bildung; Evaluierung; Erprobung; Natürliche Sprache
Abstract	The way words are used in natural language can influence how the same words are understood by students in formal educational contexts. Here we argue that this so-called semantic contamination effect plays a role in determining how students engage with mathematical proof, a fundamental aspect of learning mathematics. Analyses of responses to argument evaluation tasks suggest that students may hold two different and contradictory conceptions of proof: one related to conviction, and one to validity. We demonstrate that these two conceptions can be preferentially elicited by making apparently irrelevant linguistic changes to task instructions. After analyzing the occurrence of "proof" and "prove" in natural language, we report two experiments that suggest that the noun form privileges evaluations related to validity, and that the verb form privileges evaluations related to conviction. In short, we show that (what is judged to be) a non-proof can sometimes (be judged to) prove. (Contains 2 figures and 5 tables.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10