Improving attitudes towards geometric proof in the context of dynamic geometry software-based proof instruction

Abstract

This study investigated the change in attitudes towards geometric proof of high school students in the context of dynamic geometry software-based proof instruction and further examined whether there was a significant difference between proof attitudes of participants with high and low mathematics attitudes. In this study, proof activities, which covered the topics of Angles, Angles in Triangles, Congruency and Similarity in Triangles, were designed to improve students’ attitudes towards geometric proof using GeoGebra, based on Stylianides’ (2008) proof framework. At the end of activities, the difference between proof attitudes of participants with high and lowmathematics attitudes were analyzed. In addition to this, students’ evaluation about learning experiences with DGS after attending the DGS-based geometry instruction were examined with respect to their level of mathematics attitudes (low and high)by implementing a questionnaire. The result of the study showed that students’ attitudes towards geometric proof improved significantly; however, in this improvement students’ attitudes towards mathematics did not have a significant effect. Moreover, the study showed that, students’ evaluations about their learning experiences with DGS were very positive, especially DGS facilitated students throughout the all phases of the proof framework, which ended with a proof, and both low and high mathematics attitude group students’ mean scores in each item on the questionnaire were similar.