An examination of counterexamples in proofs and refutations

Lakatos’s seminal work Proofs and Refutations introduced the methods of proofs and refutations by discussing the history and methodological development of Euler’s formula V — E+F = 2 for three dimensional polyhedra. Lakatos considered the history of polyhedra illustrating a good example for his philosophy and methodology of mathematics and geometry. In this study, we focus on the mathematical and topological properties which play a role in Lakatos’s methodological approach. For each example and counterexample given by Lakatos, we briefly outline its topological counterpart. We thus present the mathematical background and basis of Lakatos’s philosophy of mathematical methodology in the case of Euler’s formula, and thereby develop some intuitions about the function of his notions of positive and negative heuristics

The effect of elementary students' attitude towards science on their levels of test anxiety

WOS: 000258884000001The objective of this study is to find out the effect of second-grade elementary students' (6(th)-, 7(th)- and 8(th)-year students) attitude towards science course on their levels of test anxiety. This study will be carried out by using the descriptive method. The subjects of this study will be 145 second-grade students in Ergin Elementary School in Bala, Ankara, Koseli Elementary School in Bala, Ankara and Sehit Orhan Yalcin Elementary School in Dortdivan, Bolu. he Test Anxiety Inventory and the Scale of Attitude Towards Science will be administered to students. The correlation between test anxiety scores and attitude scores as well as the correlation between anxiety-gender and attitude-gender will be sought for in this study. It has been found out that there is a significant correlation between test anxiety scores and attitude scores. However, no significant difference is known about anxiety-gender and attitude-gender relations