The Classification of Quadrilaterals: A Study in Definition

This monograph reports on an analysis of a small part of the mathematics curriculum, the definitions given to quadrilaterals. This kind of research, which we call micro—curricular analysis, is often undertaken by those who create curriculum, but it is not usually done systematically and it is rarely published.

Many terms in mathematics education can be found to have different definitions in mathematics books. Among these are “natural number,” “parallel lines” and “congruent triangles,” “trap...