Supervisors info:
Πόταρη Δέσποινα, Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Μαθηματικών, Ε.Κ.Π.Α.
Ζαχαριάδης Θεοδόσιος, Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Μαθηματικών, Ε.Κ.Π.Α.
Σπύρου Παναγιώτης, Αναπλ. Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Μαθηματικών, Ε.Κ.Π.Α.
Summary:
The present work is concerned with the presentation of university-level mathematical proof and specifically during an Analysis course, before an audience consisted mainly of first-year students. The case study focuses on the lectures of a professor, who stands out as incorporating systematic knowledge from the research fields of mathematics and mathematics teaching. Certain actions, during the presentation of mathematical proofs, were identified and, consequently, the various aspects of said activities were systematically defined. The research concludes that the informal means of presentation are a way of expression of the semantic teaching style. Furthermore, a certain method surfaced, which the professor repetitively employs during his presentation. The remarks, so far, helped to trace the link between the typical and intuitive part of a mathematical proof. This link is achieved in two ways, the first being the use of informal means and the second, associated with the modeling of the semantic part of proof to the typical part. The research comes to the conclusion that the professor’s personality, knowledge and beliefs all form, to a certain extent, integral elements of a lecture which, eventually, constitutes a broader network of social interaction.
Keywords:
proof, university teaching, lecture, teaching actions
