Developing pedagogic theory: the case of geometry proof teaching

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Description/Abstract

This paper compares the teaching of proof in geometry at the lower secondary school level in the East (China, Japan) and in the West (UK). The aim is to seek to identify teaching strategies that might inform new pedagogic approaches for teaching deductive proof and proving. In the West, much theory focuses on examining the nature of classroom tasks. In the East, the heuristic nature of teaching and the theory of variation are useful as they focus on the dynamic role of the teacher. The paper suggests that the main need is for deeper thinking on the relationship between teachers’ instructional practices and the development of students’ mathematical reasoning.