Impacts of Inquiry Pedagogy on Undergraduate Students’ Conceptions of the Function of Proof

Mathematicians and mathematics educators agree that proof has many different roles in mathematics beyond that of verifying the truth of a statement. For instance, some proofs can not only show that a statement is true, but also explain why it must be true. However, students may not appreciate these other functions of proof as they are not explicitly taught in the classroom. This report outlines an inquiry-based teaching intervention in an introduction to proof course and its impacts on students' appreciation of other functions of proof. Results show that exposure to inquiry pedagogy changed students' conceptions of the functions of proof and increased their recognition of the explanatory and communication power of proof.