ERIC Number: EJ1387007
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0020-739X
EISSN: EISSN-1464-5211
Available Date: N/A
The Role of Authorial Context in Mathematicians' Evaluations of Proof
International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, v54 n5 p725-739 2023
We report on a series of task-based interviews in which nine mathematicians were asked to evaluate a series of six mathematical arguments, purportedly produced either by fellow mathematicians or undergraduate students. In this paper, we attend to the role of context in mathematicians' responses, leading to four themes in expectations when evaluating the proofs that they read. First, mathematicians' evaluations of identical arguments were sensitive to researchers' manipulation of authorship, with most accepting arguments purportedly produced by a colleague while taking a more critical view of that same argument if produced by an undergraduate student. Our thematic analysis of interview responses led to three context-based factors influencing mathematicians' responses when evaluating student-produced texts: "course goals, instructors' expectations, and assessment type." In the final section, we consider implications for researchers focused on understanding common practice amongst mathematicians as well as the pedagogic consequences of our findings for practice in the classroom.
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Validity, Mathematical Logic, Persuasive Discourse, Mathematics, Student Developed Materials, Mathematics Instruction, Teaching Methods, Context Effect, Task Analysis, Comparative Analysis, Authors, College Faculty, Expectation, Course Objectives, Evaluation Methods, Teacher Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
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