Proof-related reasoning in upper secondary school: characteristics of Swedish and Finnish textbooks

Abstract

Despite the central role of proofs in mathematics, research often shows that school textbooks offer limited support for the teaching and learning of proof-related reasoning. This study contributes to this field of research by studying Swedish and Finnish upper secondary textbooks on logarithms and combinatorics. Justifications in expository sections are analysed and students’ tasks are categorized according to the type and nature of reasoning they require. The findings imply that opportunities to learn proof-related reasoning are few, and are more oriented towards deductive reasoning in Finnish textbooks and towards empirical reasoning and conjecturing in Swedish textbooks. The results are discussed in relation to similar studies from both Scandinavian and United States contexts, and address future research and development of the theoretical framing of proof-related reasoning.