Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Mathematics teachers’ beliefs about a new reform in high school geometry in Iran

  • Published:
Educational Studies in Mathematics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The geometry textbooks of the new system of secondary education in Iran differed dramatically from the old ones considering the aims, the visions, the content, the approach, and the educational purposes. Four hundred eighty mathematics teachers participated in a nationwide professional development program conducted by the author to facilitate the implementation of the new changes. Based on this program, a research study was designed to investigate the teachers’ beliefs about a new reform in high school geometry as a result of the professional development program. The data of the study were collected through teachers’ reflective writings, project works, group discussions, reflective questionnaires, and oral communications. The purpose of this paper is to draw upon this study and to document mathematics teachers’ beliefs about new changes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bakhtiari, J. (1989). The geometrical nature and structure of calligraphy (In Farsi), Iran.

  • Buzjani, Abol Vafa (10th Century A.D.). Applied Geometry. Rewritten into modern Persian by S. A. Jazbi in 1991 (In Farsi). Tehran, Iran: Soroush.

  • Clements, M. A., & Ellerton, N. F. (1996). Mathematics education research: Past, present and future. UNESCO.

  • Davis, P. J., & Hersh, R. (1980). The mathematical experience. Boston: Birkhauser.

    Google Scholar 

  • Discussion Document for an ICMI Study (1994). Perspectives on the teaching of geometry for the 21st century. The International Commission on Mathematical Instruction.

  • Epp, S. S. (1994). The role of proof in problem solving. In A. H. Schoenfeld (Ed.), Mathematical thinking and problem solving (pp. 257–269). LEA.

  • Gholam Azad, S., & Gooya, Z. (2006). The place of proof in school mathematics (In Farsi). Roshd Mathematics Education Journal, 24(1). Tehran, Iran: Teaching-Aids Publications Office: Ministry of Education.

  • Gooya, Z. (1992). Influences of metacognition-based teaching and teaching via problem solving on students’ beliefs about mathematics and mathematical problem solving. Doctoral dissertation. Vancouver, Canada: The University of British Columbia Canada.

  • Gooya, Z., Gholam Azad, S., Newsha, J., Rostami, M. H., Zangeneh, B. Z., Haji Babaiee, J. (1996). Geometry II (In Farsi): Third year of secondary education, theoretical strand; Mathematics and Physics stream. Tehran, Iran: Ministry of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gooya, Z., Gholam Azad, S., Newsha, J., Zangeneh, B. Z., Haji Babaiee, J., & Jahanipour, R. (1995). Geometry I (In Farsi): Second year of secondary education, theoretical strand; Natural sciences and Mathematics and Physics stream. Tehran, Iran: Ministry of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gooya, Z., & Schroeder, T. (1994). Social norm: The key to effectiveness in cooperative small groups and whole class discussions in mathematics classrooms. Proceedings of the Eighteenth International Conference for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 3, (17–24). Lisbon: University of Lisbon.

  • Gooya, Z., & Zangeneh, B. Z. (2005). How teachers conceive geometry teaching in Iran. In M. Kourkoulos, G. Troulis & C. Tzanakis (Eds.), Proceedings of the 4th International Colloquium on the Didactics of Mathematics, Vol. II, (pp. 247–254). University of Crete, Department of Education.

  • Hanna, G. (1983). Rigorous proof in mathematics education. Toronto, Ontario: OISE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanna, G. (1990). Some pedagogical aspects of Proof. Interchange, 2(1), 6–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanna, G. (1996). Proof and Proving. In A. J. Bishop, K. Clements, C. Keitel, J. Kilpatrick & C. Laborde (Eds.), International handbook of mathematics education (pp. 877–908). Kluwer.

  • Hanna, G. (2000). Proof, Explanation and Exploration: An Overview. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 44, 5–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffer, A. (1981). Geometry is more than proof. Mathematics Teacher, 74(1), 11–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogendijk, J. P. (1996). Al-Sijzi’s Treatise on geometrical problem solving. Translated and annotated by Jan P. Hogendijk in Farsi, English, and Arabic. Tehran, Iran: Fatemi.

    Google Scholar 

  • ICMI (The International Commission on Mathematics Instruction) (1994). Perspectives on teaching of geometry for the 21st century. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 28, 91–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knuth, E. J. (2002). Teachers’ conceptions of proof in the context of secondary school mathematics. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 5(1), 61–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (1989). Curriculum and evaluation standards for school mathematics. Reston, Virginia: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (1991a). Professional standards for teaching mathematics. Reston, Virginia: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (1991b). Curriculum and evaluation standards for school mathematics. Geometry from multiple perspectives: Addenda Series, Grades 9–12. Reston, Virginia: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics. Reston, Virginia: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Remillard, J. T., & Geist, P. K. (2002). Supporting teachers’ professional learning by navigating openings in the curriculum. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 5(1), 7–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robitaille, D. F., & Dirks, M. (1982). Models for the mathematics curriculum. For the Learning of Mathematics, 2(3), 3–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schoenfeld, A. H. (1994). What do we know about mathematics curricula? Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 13, 55–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schön, D. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. New York: Basic Books.

  • Schön, D. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner: Towards a new design for teaching and learning in the professions. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Senk, S. (1989). Van Hiele levels and achievement in writing geometry proofs. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 20(3), 309–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research. Grounded theory; procedures and techniques. California: SAGE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sztajn, P. (2003). Adapting reform ideas in different mathematics classrooms: Beliefs beyond mathematics. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 6(1). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Kluwer.

  • The Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning. (1993). Understanding the purposes of Islamic architecture: The application of geometry (In Farsi). Tehran, Iran: Shahid Beheshty University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber, K. (2003). Students Difficulties With Proof, Retrieved September 2003 from http://www.maa.org/t_and_l/sampler/rs_8.html.

  • Zangeneh, B. Z., & Gooya, Z. (1995). New perspective of geometry education. In A. Rejali (Ed.), Proceedings of the special workshop on mathematics education at the 26th Annual Iranian Mathematics Conference, Kerman-Iran (pp. 58–66). Isfahan, Iran: Isfahan University of Technology.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zahra Gooya.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gooya, Z. Mathematics teachers’ beliefs about a new reform in high school geometry in Iran. Educ Stud Math 65, 331–347 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-006-9055-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-006-9055-z

Keywords

Navigation