TY - JOUR
T1 - A Reflection on Teaching Mathematical Proofs to First-Year Undergraduates
AU - Zhang , Shu
AU - Zhu , Shengxin
JO - Innovative Teaching and Learning 
VL - 1
SP - 74
EP - 94
PY - 2022
DA - 2022/08
SN - 4
DO - http://doi.org/10.4208/itl.20220105
UR - https://global-sci.org/intro/article_detail/itl/20874.html
KW - formal proof, transition, beliefs, academic performance, undergraduate mathematics.
AB - <p style="text-align: justify;">Writing a mathematical proof is an essential skill for qualified science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students, especially those majoring in mathematics,
data science, artificial intelligence (AI), and computer science. However, many first-year
students complain that it is tremendously difficult for them to learn mathematics well,
particularly mathematics proofs. New teaching staff are also often frustrated during their
first couple of years of teaching undergraduates mathematics, wondering why something
so seemingly simple is so difficult to teach. Although most universities have experienced
this problem, there has been little deep reflection and investigation on why learning of
mathematical proofs is so difficult for first-year undergraduates and how to mitigate such
difficulties. The aim of this paper is to fill such a gap by reflections and investigation
which focus on the recognition and learning of the mathematical proof process.</p>