The correlation between attitudes towards proving with proving skills of the prospective mathematics teachers

The purpose of this study is that the prospective mathematics teachers are examined the correlation between attitudes towards proving with proving skills. The methods of quantitative, qualitative and mixed are used together in the study.In the quantitative part of investigation, a scale was constituted which determines proof and their attitudes towards proving both secondary-school and high-school prospective mathematics teachers. Firstly in the research, literature searching was done about proof and proving. Then a scale with 30 items about proof and proving were prepared. That scale was applied to 727 prospective maths teachers who were studying at both secondary-school and high-school mathematics teacher programs of a state university in 2008-2009 instruction year. The scale which consisted of four factors and 22 items which was both valid and reliable was derived. The coefficient of Cronbach Alpha was 0,887. So it was saying that PAS was both valid and reliable.PAS was applied to 22 prospective maths teachers who were in the University of Dokuz Eylül the Faculty of Buca Eğitim?s Secondary Education 3rd Grade Students in 2009-2010. The results of investigation the points of attitude of the prospective maths teachers were found mid-range.The first qualitative part of the research consists of 21 proof problems. These problems were examined in two levels. Firstly, problems were coded proof levels (PL) of Balacheff. Coding PL was determined according to prospective maths teachers? approach of problems. It wasn?t important if the answers were correct or wrong. These levels consist of five stages which are Naïve Empiricism (NE), Crucial Experiment (CE), Generic Example (GE), Thought Experiment (TE) and Mathematical Proof (MP).462 answers were obtained from 21 proof problems. The answers of 22 (% 4,8) were the level of NE, 21(%4,6) were the level of CE, 35 (%7,6) were the level of GE, 252 (%54,6) were the level of TE and 119 (%25,8) were the level of MP. 8 candidates (%1,7) leaved the proof of some problems empty and 5 candidates? answers (%1,1) were not evaluated under any categories.The second qualitative part of the research was done the code of ?0-1-2-3?. It was investigated to what extend the candidates gave true answers to the problem. That second code was utilized to fill the deficiency.In the mixed-method part of investigation, the correlation between attitudes towards proving with proving skills of the prospective mathematics teachers was examined. I used r (corelation coefficient) in the SPSS 15 software to search out this correlation. The test of Kendall?s Tau was done. There wasn?t any correlation between attitudes towards proving with proving skills of the prospective mathematics teachers.Key words: Proof, proving, the scale of attitude, the scale of attitude towards proof and proving, the proof levels of Balacheff, quantitative method, qualitative method and mixed method.