Sugi Hartono, Tatag Yuli Eko Siswono, Rooselyna Ekawati, Farah Aisyah Nafidiastri
This study aims to explore the challenges pre-service mathematics teachers face in understanding intuition in geometric proofs and how scaffolding can support their learning. A qualitative approach was employed with 105 pre-service mathematics teachers from the State University of Surabaya as participants. Data were collected through tests and interviews, then analyzed using Miyazaki’s classification: Proof Types A and B (deductive methods) and Proof Types C and D (inductive methods). Four students who struggled with intuition in proof construction were selected for scaffolding interventions. The findings reveal that 71% of participants successfully applied deductive reasoning in geometric proofs, while 29% relied on inductive reasoning. Additionally, 34 students exhibited difficulties in understanding intuition, and four were given scaffolding through strategies such as suggesting and investigating, explanation and justification, conceptual discussions, negotiating meaning, making connections, coordinating problems, and developing representative tools. The results suggest that targeted scaffolding can help pre-service teachers overcome difficulties in intuitive understanding and improve their proof construction skills in geometry. © 2026, City University of New York. All rights reserved.
Mathematics Education of Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia; FMIPA, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia
