PROCEEDINGS OF THE 23RD ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2020
Boston, Massachusetts
Students’ interpretations of the prompts for proving tasks: “Prove” and “Show”
Page: 260
Proving can be a process for communicating mathematics and people communicating need to be familiar with the language of mathematics. This study focuses on the prompts used for proving tasks not only because the wording of these prompts may impact students’ modes of argumentation, but also because students might bring their preconceptions about these prompts from previous mathematical and non– mathematical experiences. The current study examined how Calculus I students interpret prompts, such as “prove” and “show.” Data was from 131 survey responses and three interviews reveal that these students possibly interpret different prompts in different ways, which can create a gap between students’ interpretations and instructors’ or researchers’ intentions. This suggests that instructors and researchers may need to be more deliberate in choosing such prompts.