Teachers' Conceptions of Proof in the Context of Secondary School Mathematics

Current reform efforts in the United States arecalling for substantial changes in the natureand role of proof in secondary schoolmathematics – changes designed to provideall students with rich opportunities andexperiences with proof throughout theentire secondary school mathematicscurriculum. This study examined 17 experiencedsecondary school mathematics teachers'conceptions of proof from their perspectives asteachers of school mathematics. The resultssuggest that implementing ``proof for all' maybe difficult for teachers; teachers viewedproof as appropriate for the mathematicseducation of a minority of students. Theresults further suggest that teachers tended toview proof in a pedagogically limited way,namely, as a topic of study rather than as atool for communicating and studyingmathematics. Implications for mathematicsteacher education are discussed in light ofthese findings.