The Opportunities for Mathematical Reasoning Skills That Teachers Provide for Their Students in The Learning Environment

Abstract

The acquisition of mathematical reasoning skills is directly related to the opportunities gained by the students in the learning environment. The complete lack or the rarity of such situations that support mathematical reasoning in the learning environment is an obstacle to conceptual learning. Therefore, it is important to investigate the extent to which different aspects of reasoning are encountered in teachers’ presentations and to convey the reflections of those from the learning environment. The objective of this study is to examine the opportunities for mathematical reasoning skills that teachers give to their students. A holistic case study design was used in the study process as a qualitative research approach. The study was carried out with two teachers working in public schools. Unstructured observations and video recordings conducted by the researchers were used to collect data, and content and descriptive analysis analyse the obtained data. When the teachers were evaluated regarding the opportunities for mathematical reasoning they provided in their classes, it was concluded that although these constitute a variety of opportunities, they present limited opportunities that could fully support mathematical reasoning. It is thought that offering limited opportunities in the learning environment may negatively affect students’ mathematical reasoning skills.