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Lakatos’ Proofs and Refutations Comes Alive in an Elementary Classroom
Author(s) -
Atkins Sandra L.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
school science and mathematics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.135
H-Index - 2
eISSN - 1949-8594
pISSN - 0036-6803
DOI - 10.1111/j.1949-8594.1997.tb17358.x
Subject(s) - mathematical proof , conjecture , mathematics education , mathematics , mathematical logic , calculus (dental) , algebra over a field , epistemology , philosophy , pure mathematics , algorithm , geometry , medicine , dentistry
This paper presents an alternative pedagogy implicit in Imre Lakatos ’ Proofs and Refutations: The Logic of Mathematical Discovery. Through the voices of his characters, Lakatos reveals that learning mathematics is a discourse laden activity. In this approach it is acceptable, if not preferable, to refute a conjecture. Examples of the use of a Lakatosian approach in an elementary classroom are given. In this classroom setting students are able to propose more mature solutions, through posing and refuting conjectures.