University  mathematics students’ self-efficacy beliefs about proof and proving

Antti Viholainen; Timo Tossavainen; Hanna Viitala; Maria Johansson

doi:10.31129/LUMAT.7.1.406

Authors

Antti Viholainen University of Eastern Finland, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8709-0699
Timo Tossavainen Luleå University of Technology, Sweden https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7494-4632
Hanna Viitala Luleå University of Technology, Sweden https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8948-1191
Maria Johansson Luleå University of Technology, Sweden https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8058-3661

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31129/LUMAT.7.1.406

Keywords:

mathematics student teacher, motivation, proof, self-efficacy

Abstract

We examine university students’ motivation and self-efficacy beliefs about proof and proving, i.e., beliefs about personal abilities to understand, construct and present mathematical proofs, as well as their certainty about self-produced proofs. The sample of the study consists of 29 Finnish and Swedish students who were studying mathematics in tertiary level. The results show that the students were highly motivated to learn to understand and construct proofs, but they were more uncertain about their proving skills. Moreover, the study revealed reasons for the uncertainty about proving achievements. Most of the reasons are caused by deficiencies with respect to knowledge of, understanding about or experience from proof and proving.