Reasoning-and-Proving in Algebra in School Mathematics Textbooks in Hong Kong

To promote learning mathematics with understanding, mathematics educators in many countries recommend that proof (and proof-related reasoning) should play a central role in school mathematics. In response to this recommendation, this study examines the opportunities for students to learn reasoning-and-proving from solving algebra problems in a popular school mathematics textbook from Hong Kong. The study adopts the methodology of Stylianides (2009). Results show that such opportunities are relatively limited. Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of the demonstration proofs require little reasoning. There are almost no opportunities for conjecturing, but many instances of empirical non-proof arguments. Overall, the results suggest that proof plays a marginal role in school mathematics in Hong Kong.