Interdisciplinary Educational Research In Mathematics and Its Connections to The Arts and Sciences


Book Description

The book is based on the recently held Symposium on mathematics and its connections to the arts and sciences, namely the second Mathematics and its Connections to the Arts and Sciences (MACAS2)Symposium in Odense, Denmark (May 29-31, 2007). The chapters are an eclectic collection of interdisciplinary research initiatives undertaken by mathematics educators with implications for practitioners concerned with teaching and learning processes. The papers cover a wide genre of research domains within mathematics education (cognition, modelling, problem solving, teacher education, ethnomathematics, mathematical/statistical literacy, curricular and technological initiatives and research related to science education). The major interdisciplinary themes of the papers in this book are: 1. How can modelling activities be used to foster interdisciplinary projects in the school and university setting? 2. How can the intricate connections between mathematics and physics be used to design and research interdisciplinary activities in schools and the university? 3. How can research within the ethnomathematics domain of mathematics education be linked to critical mathematics education and interdisciplinary projects involving mathematics, art and culture? 4. How can the push for mathematical and statistical literacy be connected to other subjects in the school curricula and emphasized via interdisciplinary activities? 5. What are concrete examples of classroom experiments with empirical data that demonstrate new and unusual connections/relations between mathematics, arts and the sciences with implications for pedagogy? 6. What is the role of technology and new ICT interfaces in linking communities of learners in interdisciplinary activities involving problem solving? The book is an important contribution to the literature on educational initiatives in interdisciplinary education increasing vital for emerging professions of the 21st century.




Mathematics and Its Connections to the Arts and Sciences (MACAS)


Book Description

This book celebrates the 15th anniversary of the bi-annual symposium series Mathematics and its Connections to the Arts and Sciences (MACAS), which was first held in 2005 following the continued collaboration of an international group of researchers from ICME Topic Study Group 21. The MACAS-conferences bring together scientists and educators who are interested in the connection between mathematics, arts and science in educational curriculum, while emphasizing on, as well as researching about, the role of mathematics. By pooling together these different approaches and viewpoints between mathematics, arts and sciences, this book reveals possible synergies and paths for collaborations. In view of the challenges of the 21st century, a modern approach to education with a focus on multi- and interdisciplinarity is more important than ever. The role of mathematics assumes a key role in this approach as it is connected to all other disciplines, such as STEM education, physics, chemistry, biology, aesthetics and language, and can serve as a bridge between them. This book discusses, amongst others, the curricular approaches to integrate mathematics and other disciplines, the importance of mathematical modelling and the interdisciplinarity ways for learning and studying of mathematics, as well as the intercultural dimensions of mathematics and mathematics in the digital era. All topics will be presented from very different perspectives and regarding very different contexts, including digitization, culture and sustainability. This unique collection will serve as a very valuable and compact source for all above mentioned scientists and educators, as well as for use in advanced teacher education courses.




Interdisciplinarity for the 21st Century


Book Description

Interdisciplinarity has become increasingly important for emergent professions of the 21st century yet there is a dearth of systematic studies aimed at implementing it in the school and university curricula. The Mathematics and its Connections to the Arts and Sciences (MACAS ) group places Mathematics as a vehicle through which deep and meaningful connections can be forged with the Arts and the Sciences and as a means of promoting interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary thinking traits amongst students. The Third International Symposium held by the MACAS group in Moncton, Canada in 2009 included numerous initiatives and ideas for interdisciplinarity that are implementable in both the school and university setting. The chapters in this book cover interdisciplinary links with mathematics found in the domains of culture, art, aesthetics, music, cognition, history, philosophy, engineering, technology and science with contributors from Canada, U.S, Denmark, Germany, Mexico, Iran and Poland amongst others.




The Integration of the Humanities and Arts with Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in Higher Education


Book Description

In the United States, broad study in an array of different disciplines â€"arts, humanities, science, mathematics, engineeringâ€" as well as an in-depth study within a special area of interest, have been defining characteristics of a higher education. But over time, in-depth study in a major discipline has come to dominate the curricula at many institutions. This evolution of the curriculum has been driven, in part, by increasing specialization in the academic disciplines. There is little doubt that disciplinary specialization has helped produce many of the achievement of the past century. Researchers in all academic disciplines have been able to delve more deeply into their areas of expertise, grappling with ever more specialized and fundamental problems. Yet today, many leaders, scholars, parents, and students are asking whether higher education has moved too far from its integrative tradition towards an approach heavily rooted in disciplinary "silos". These "silos" represent what many see as an artificial separation of academic disciplines. This study reflects a growing concern that the approach to higher education that favors disciplinary specialization is poorly calibrated to the challenges and opportunities of our time. The Integration of the Humanities and Arts with Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in Higher Education examines the evidence behind the assertion that educational programs that mutually integrate learning experiences in the humanities and arts with science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) lead to improved educational and career outcomes for undergraduate and graduate students. It explores evidence regarding the value of integrating more STEMM curricula and labs into the academic programs of students majoring in the humanities and arts and evidence regarding the value of integrating curricula and experiences in the arts and humanities into college and university STEMM education programs.




Crossroads in the History of Mathematics and Mathematics Education


Book Description

The interaction of the history of mathematics and mathematics education has long been construed as an esoteric area of inquiry. Much of the research done in this realm has been under the auspices of the history and pedagogy of mathematics group. However there is little systematization or consolidation of the existing literature aimed at undergraduate mathematics education, particularly in the teaching and learning of the history of mathematics and other undergraduate topics. In this monograph, the chapters cover topics such as the development of Calculus through the actuarial sciences and map making, logarithms, the people and practices behind real world mathematics, and fruitful ways in which the history of mathematics informs mathematics education. The book is meant to serve as a source of enrichment for undergraduate mathematics majors and for mathematics education courses aimed at teachers.




Selected writings from the Journal of the British Columbia Association of Mathematics Teachers


Book Description

The teaching and learning of mathematics in British Columbia has a long and storied history. An integral part of the past 50 years (1962-2012) of this history has been Vector: Journal of the British Columbia Association of Mathematics Teachers. This volume, which presents ten memorable articles from each of the past five decades, that is, 50 articles from the past 50 years of the journal, provides an opportunity to share this rich history with a wide range of individuals interested in the teaching and learning of mathematics and mathematics education. Each decade begins with an introduction, providing a historical context, and concludes with a commentary from a prominent member of the British Columbia mathematics education community. As a result, this monograph provides a historical account as well as a contemporary view of many of the trends and issues in the teaching and learning of mathematics. This volume is meant to serve as a resource for a variety of individuals including: teachers of mathematics, mathematics teacher educators, mathematics education researchers, historians, and undergraduate and graduate students. Most importantly, this volume is a celebratory retrospective on the work of the British Columbia Association of Mathematics Teachers.




Selected Writings from the Journal of the Saskatchewan Mathematics Teachers' Society


Book Description

The teaching and learning of mathematics in Saskatchewan—one of three Canadian provinces sharing a border with Montana—has a long and storied history. An integral part of the past 50 years (1961-2011) of history has been vinculum: Journal of the Saskatchewan Mathematics Teachers' Society (in its many different renditions). This monograph, which presents ten memorable articles from each of the past five decades (i.e., 50 articles from the past 50 years of the journal), provides an opportunity to share this rich history with a wide range of individuals interested in the teaching and learning of mathematics and mathematics education. Each decade begins with an introduction, providing a historical context, and concludes with a decade-specific commentary by a prominent member of the Saskatchewan mathematics education community. As a result, this monograph provides a historical account as well as a contemporary view of many of the trends and issues (e.g., curriculum, technology) in the teaching and learning of mathematics. This book is meant to serve as a resource for a variety of individuals, including teachers of mathematics, mathematics teacher educators, mathematics education researchers, historians, and undergraduate and graduate students and, further, as a celebratory retrospective on the work of the Saskatchewan Mathematics Teachers' Society.




Selected writings from the Journal of the Mathematics Council of the Alberta Teachers' Association


Book Description

The teaching and learning of mathematics in Alberta - one of three Canadian provinces sharing a border with Montana - has a long and storied history. An integral part of the past 50 years (1962-2012) of this history has been delta-K: Journal of the Mathematics Council of the Alberta Teachers' Association. This volume, which presents ten memorable articles from each of the past five decades, that is, 50 articles from the past 50 years of the journal, provides an opportunity to share this rich history with a wide range of individuals interested in the teaching and learning of mathematics and mathematics education. Each decade begins with an introduction, providing a historical context, and concludes with a commentary from a prominent member of the Alberta mathematics education community. As a result, this monograph provides a historical account as well as a contemporary view of many of the trends and issues in the teaching and learning of mathematics. This volume is meant to serve as a resource for a variety of individuals, including teachers of mathematics, mathematics teacher educators, mathematics education researchers, historians, and undergraduate and graduate students. Most importantly, this volume is a celebratory retrospective on the work of the Mathematics Council of the Alberta Teachers' Association.




Critique as Uncertainty


Book Description

The title of the book is Critique as Uncertainty. Thus Ole Skovsmose sees uncertainty as an important feature of any critical approach. He does not assume the existence of any blue prints for social and political improvements, nor that certain theoretical structures can provide solid foundations for a critical activities. For him critique is an open and uncertain activity. This also applies to critical mathematics education. Critique as Uncertainty includes papers Ole Skovsmose already has published as well as some newly written chapters. The book addresses issues about: landscapes of investigations, students’ foregrounds, mathematics education and democracy, mathematics and power. Finally it expresses concerns of a critical mathematics education.




The Development of Teaching Expertise from an International Perspective


Book Description

This book provides an insightful view of effective teaching practices in China from an international perspective by examining the grades 7-12 mathematics teacher preparation in the Shandong province of China. It is an excellent reference book for teacher educators, researchers, reformers, and teaching practitioners. A qualitative research approach, involving in-depth interviews with purposive sampling of ten grades 7-12 award-winning mathematics teachers, was chosen to conduct the study. The participants are from the Shandong province and have been awarded recognition for his/her achievements in teaching grades 7-12 mathematics by the different levels: school, district, city, province, or nation; and his/her students have achieved high average scores in college entrance exams or in high school entrance exams among the classes at the same grade level. Data analysis revealed the following findings: first, grades 7-12 mathematics teachers from the Shandong province of China were prepared to teach through pre-service training, in-service training, and informal learning. The pre-service training can be characterized as emphasizing formal mathematics training at advanced level. The in-service training is integrated with teacher collaboration and teaching research, and has the characteristics of diversity, continuity, and orientation toward teaching practice. The in-service training also stimulates teachers to conduct self-directed learning. Second, the award-winning grades 7-12 mathematics teachers are identified by the following characteristics: they are passionate about mathematics and share their passion through teaching; they actively take part in teaching research through application of teaching research in the classroom, collaboration with peers, and systematic lesson preparation; they apply technology into teaching; and they take an active role in teaching research in order to expand their professional opportunities. Based on the findings of this study, the following conclusions were reached: pre-service training and in-service training are both necessary processes for mathematics teachers to build up their knowledge base for effective teaching. Pre-service training is just a starting point for the teaching profession. In-service training, integrated with teacher collaboration and teaching research should be a continuous activity that is a part of a teacher’s everyday life.