What do we Believe Constitutes Success in Mathematics Education?
Abstract
It may seem like an uncontested matter to many; however, the concept of what constitutes “success” in school mathematics is subject to many and varied interpretations. This research strove to explore the bifurcations that exist within current and historical mathematical educational philosophy regarding success and to explore the consequent landscape of opinion within mathematics education, particular as those opinions are enacted in elementary mathematics classrooms. Through classroom observations, and one-on-one interviews with participants, I explored a range of individual conceptions of success in elementary mathematics. For some, being successful in mathematics is replicating formulas and answering questions with speed and accuracy. Others look for students to collaborate and build connections through problem solving. And some believe that mathematics success lies somewhere between.
Through the research three “Landscapes of Difference” were developed in order to explore the nuances and complexities of the many conflicting conceptions of success found within research classrooms. The big idea of conflicting conceptions of success is buoyed by the five foundational concepts of (1) what we mean by understanding mathematics, (2) Multiple representations of thinking, (3) Collaboration in mathematics learning, (4) Homogeneous groupings, and (5) Traditional structures in mathematics learning.
I argue that conflicting conceptions of success arise in large part because of an underdetermination of mathematics pedagogy. The research leads to the call for further opportunity for pre-service and tenured teachers to explore their embedded assumptions and work toward professional development in terms of supporting the growth of mathematics content knowledge for the educator.
Description
Keywords
Education, Education--Elementary, Education--History of, Education--Mathematics, Education--Teacher Training, Education
Citation
Sherwood, L. (2015). What do we Believe Constitutes Success in Mathematics Education? (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28689