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Modelling mathematical argumentation: the importance of qualification

2007; Springer Science+Business Media; Volume: 66; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/s10649-006-9059-8

1573-0816

Matthew Inglis, Juan Pablo Mejía-Ramos, Adrian Simpson,

Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods

In recent years several mathematics education researchers have attempted to analyse students' arguments using a restricted form of Toulmin's [The Uses of Argument, Cambridge University Press, UK, 1958] argumentation scheme. In this paper we report data from task-based interviews conducted with highly talented postgraduate mathematics students, and argue that a superior categorisation of genuine mathematical argumentation is provided by the use of Toulmin's full scheme. In particular, we suggest that modal qualifiers play an important and previously unrecognised role in mathematical argumentation, and that one of the goals of instruction should be to develop students' abilities to appropriately match up warrant-types with modal qualifiers.