Matematik Öğretimi İçin Matematik Tarihini İncelemek: Logaritma Örneği

Abstract

The role of the history of mathematics in understanding the concepts in mathematics is among the topics that have been given importance in recent years, however incorporating history of mathematical concept in teaching is still limited. Logarithm is one of the most fundamental concepts in mathematics, it is frequently used in the fields of science and technology. However, studies show that students have difficulty in understanding the concept of logarithm, and they have difficulty in comprehending the meaning of logarithm even if they can perform operations on logarithmic expressions. As with other concepts in mathematics, it is known that the way in which the concept of logarithm is introduced and structured in teaching is closely related to how students understand it. How a mathematical concept is structured in the textbook significantly affects how teachers teach the concept in the classroom. Therefore, how mathematical concepts are structured in textbooks is one of the important parameters in mathematics teaching. In Turkey, the concept of logarithm is introduced to students in the 12th grade. When the 12th grade mathematics textbook is examined, it is seen that the concept of logarithm is defined as the inverse of the exponential function. It is also understood that the algebraic approach is heavily utilized in the teaching of logarithms. In this study on the history of the concept of logarithm, it is revealed that the historical development of the concept of logarithm is different from the way the concept is structured in textbooks. This study aims to propose an alternative way of defining and introducing the logarithm by making use of the historical development of logarithm. It is expected that the findings of the study will facilitate the understanding of the relationship between the numerical, algebraic, and geometric expressions of the logarithm, thus helping to comprehend the meaning of the logarithm.