PROCEEDINGS OF THE 18TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2015
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Analysis of students’ difficulties with starting a proof
Page: 305
This paper examines students’ difficulties with starting a proof. The target population was those students who were enrolled in undergraduate Algebra, Analysis, and Topology in a large research university. 81 proofs, which were collected from students’ mid-term and final exams and in-class problem solving sessions, were analyzed. The results showed that 39 proofs (about 48%) were not successful because the early stages of those proofs had defects. This paper investigates the sources of students’ difficulties with starting a proof and provides pedagogical suggestions to help them overcome their difficulties.