Cognitive Structures and Arguments of Elementary School Student Teachers’ during Process of Basic Mathematics Proofs

This case study aims to examine the elementary school student teachers’ process of making basic mathematical proofs in terms of their cognition and arguments which they use. In this study, 89 voluntary first graders in an elementary teacher department are divided into three groups according to their basic mathematics midterm scores: (1) high, (2) medium and (3) low achievement. Two students one of which male and the other one is female are randomly selected from each group (6 in total). Data is collected through activity card and thinking aloud protocol. On the activity card, two propositions are given to the students about the topic of sets and they are asked to prove these propositions by thinking aloud. For the analysis of the data, descriptive analysis method, which is based on the analysis of the collected qualitative data in accordance with certain previously formed categories, is used. In order to examine the cognitive processes of the primary school teaching students in the process of making proof, this study uses the cognitive stages of formal expression with the concrete development, symbolization and actions in the development of the mental world of mathematics, developed by Tall (2004) and explained in detail by Tall and Mejia-Ramos (2010). In order to examine the arguments with which students justify their evidences, Toulmin’s (1958) stages of argument production in evidence making are applied. The results of this study indicate that the students use the cognitive structures of embodiment, symbolization and formal expression together with assertion, presentation, verification, and refutation of limitations.