Here is the seminar abstract:
Along history or across educational traditions, the space given to mathematical proof in compulsory school curricula varies from a quasi-absence to a formal obligation which for some has turned into an obstacle to mathematics learning. The contemporary evolution is to give to proof the space it deserves in the learning of mathematics. This is for example witnessed in different ways by The national curriculum in England (2014), the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (2010) in the US or the recent Report on the teaching of mathematics (1918) commissioned by the French government; the latter asserts: The notion of proof is at the heart of mathematical activity, whatever the level (this assertion is valid from kindergarten to university). And, beyond mathematical theory, understanding what is a reasoned justification approach based on logic is an important aspect of citizen training. The seeds of this fundamentally mathematical approach are sown in the early grades. These are a few examples of the current worldwide consensus on the centrality proof should have in the compulsory school curricula. However, the institutional statements share difficulty to express this objective. The vocabulary includes words such as argument, justification and proof without clear reasons for such diversity: are these words mere synonymous or are there differences that we should pay attention to? What are the characteristics of the discourse these words may refer to in the mathematics classroom? Eventually, how can be addressed the problem of assessing the truth value of a mathematical statement at the different grades all along compulsory school? I shall explore these questions, starting from questioning the meaning of these words and its consequences. Then, I shall shape the relations between argumentation and proof from an epistemological and didactical perspective. In the end, the participants will be invited to a discussion on the benefit and relevance of shaping the notion of mathematical argumentation as a precursor of mathematical proof.
Monday 18th November 2019, 2.30-4.00pm
Faculty of Education, Donald McIntyre Building (room GS4)
