1st Edition

Mathematics Education Exploring the Culture of Learning

Edited By Barbara Allen, Sue Johnston-Wilder Copyright 2004
    256 Pages
    by Routledge

    256 Pages
    by Routledge

    Mathematics Education identifies some of the most significant issues in mathematics education today. Pulling together relevant articles from authors well-known in their fields of study, the book addresses topical issues such as:

    • gender
    • equity
    • attitude
    • teacher belief and knowledge
    • community of practice
    • autonomy and agency
    • assessment
    • technology.

    The subject is dealt with in three parts: culture of the mathematics classroom, communication in mathematics classrooms and pupils' and teachers' perceptions.
    Students on postgraduate courses in mathematics education will find this book a valuable resource. Students on BEd and PGCE courses will also find this a useful source of reference as will teachers of mathematics, mentors and advisers.

    Introduction: Issues in researching mathematics learning Section 1: Culture of the mathematics classroom 1. Images of mathematics, values and gender: a philosophical perspective 2. Towards a sociology of learning in primary schools 3. Learners as authors in mathematics classrooms 4. Paradigmatic conflicts in informal mathematics assessment as sources of social inequity 5. Constructing the 'legitimate' goal of a 'realistic' mathematics item: a comparison of 10-11 and 13-14 year olds 6. Establishing a community of practice in a secondary mathematics classroom Section 2: Communication in mathematics classrooms 7. Mathematics, social class and linguistic capital: an analysis of mathematics classroom interactions 8. What is the role of diagrams in communication of mathematical activity? 9. 'The Whispers' : rival classroom discourses and inquiry mathematics 10. Steering between skills and creativity: a role for the computer? Section 3: Pupils' and teachers' perceptions 11. The relationship of teachers' conceptions of mathematics and mathematics teaching to instructional practice 12. Setting, social class and survival of the quickest  13. 'I'll be a nothing': structure, agency and the construction of identity through assessment  14. Pupils' perspectives on learning mathematics

    Biography

    Barbara Allen (Author) ,  Sue Johnston-Wilder (The Open University University of Warwick, UK) (Author)

    'The organisation of the book is exceptional and provides the reader with the opportunity to preview each of the three sections by means of an overview written by the editors ... All in all [this book] contains comprehensive and articulate coverage of the field and is thoughtfully organised.' - Education Review