A Comparative Study on the Presentation of Geometric Proof in Secondary Mathematics Textbooks in China, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This chapter presents a comparative study aiming to examine how geometric proof is treated in secondary school mathematics textbooks in China, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia, and explore the similarities and differences revealed in these three countries' textbooks. The results show that, although all the selected textbooks from these countries introduced mathematics topics related to geometric proof, they differed considerably in three aspects: the number of examples, the distribution of contents and, to a lesser degree, the types of proof. The textbooks in China contain the highest percentage of geometric contents and pay the most attention to the topic of geometric proof itself. The national mathematics curricula are clearly a main factor for the differences revealed.