Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Preface
- Contents
- 1 Teaching with Primary Historical Sources: Should it Go Mainstream? Can it?
- 2 Dialogismin Mathematical Writing: Historical, Philosophical and Pedagogical Issues
- 3 The Process of Mathematical Agreement: Examples from Mathematics History and an Experimental Sequence of Activities
- 4 Researching the History of Algebraic Ideas from an Educational Point of View
- 5 Equations and Imaginary Numbers: A Contribution from Renaissance Algebra
- 6 The Multiplicity of Viewpoints in Elementary Function Theory: Historical and Didactical Perspectives
- 7 From History to Research in Mathematics Education: Socio-Epistemological Elements for Trigonometric Functions
- 8 Harmonies in Nature: A Dialogue Between Mathematics and Physics
- 9 Exposure to Mathematics in the Making: Interweaving Math News Snapshots in the Teaching of High-School Mathematics
- 10 History, Figures and Narratives in Mathematics Teaching
- 11 Pedagogy, History, and Mathematics: Measure as a Theme
- 12 Students' Beliefs About the Evolution and Development of Mathematics
- 13 Changes in Student Understanding of Function Resulting from Studying Its History
- 14 Integrating the History of Mathematics into Activities Introducing Undergraduates to Concepts of Calculus
- 15 History in a Competence Based Mathematics Education: A Means for the Learning of Differential Equations
- 16 History of Statistics and Students' Difficulties in Comprehending Variance
- 17 Designing Student Projects for Teaching and Learning Discrete Mathematics and Computer Science via Primary Historical Sources
- 18 History of Mathematics for Primary School Teacher Education Or: Can You Do Something Even if You Can't Do Much?
- 19 Reflections and Revision: Evolving Conceptions of a Using History Course
- 20 Mapping Our Heritage to the Curriculum: Historical and Pedagogical Strategies for the Professional Development of Teachers
- 21 Teachers' Conceptions of History of Mathematics
- 22 The Evolution of a Community of Mathematical Researchers in North America: 1636–1950
- 23 The Transmission and Acquisition of Mathematics in Latin America, from Independence to the First Half of the Twentieth Century
- 24 In Search of Vanishing Subjects: The Astronomical Origins of Trigonometry
- About the Editors
21 - Teachers' Conceptions of History of Mathematics
- Frontmatter
- Preface
- Contents
- 1 Teaching with Primary Historical Sources: Should it Go Mainstream? Can it?
- 2 Dialogismin Mathematical Writing: Historical, Philosophical and Pedagogical Issues
- 3 The Process of Mathematical Agreement: Examples from Mathematics History and an Experimental Sequence of Activities
- 4 Researching the History of Algebraic Ideas from an Educational Point of View
- 5 Equations and Imaginary Numbers: A Contribution from Renaissance Algebra
- 6 The Multiplicity of Viewpoints in Elementary Function Theory: Historical and Didactical Perspectives
- 7 From History to Research in Mathematics Education: Socio-Epistemological Elements for Trigonometric Functions
- 8 Harmonies in Nature: A Dialogue Between Mathematics and Physics
- 9 Exposure to Mathematics in the Making: Interweaving Math News Snapshots in the Teaching of High-School Mathematics
- 10 History, Figures and Narratives in Mathematics Teaching
- 11 Pedagogy, History, and Mathematics: Measure as a Theme
- 12 Students' Beliefs About the Evolution and Development of Mathematics
- 13 Changes in Student Understanding of Function Resulting from Studying Its History
- 14 Integrating the History of Mathematics into Activities Introducing Undergraduates to Concepts of Calculus
- 15 History in a Competence Based Mathematics Education: A Means for the Learning of Differential Equations
- 16 History of Statistics and Students' Difficulties in Comprehending Variance
- 17 Designing Student Projects for Teaching and Learning Discrete Mathematics and Computer Science via Primary Historical Sources
- 18 History of Mathematics for Primary School Teacher Education Or: Can You Do Something Even if You Can't Do Much?
- 19 Reflections and Revision: Evolving Conceptions of a Using History Course
- 20 Mapping Our Heritage to the Curriculum: Historical and Pedagogical Strategies for the Professional Development of Teachers
- 21 Teachers' Conceptions of History of Mathematics
- 22 The Evolution of a Community of Mathematical Researchers in North America: 1636–1950
- 23 The Transmission and Acquisition of Mathematics in Latin America, from Independence to the First Half of the Twentieth Century
- 24 In Search of Vanishing Subjects: The Astronomical Origins of Trigonometry
- About the Editors
Summary
Introduction
Many researchers are convinced that history of mathematics merits a more important role in mathematics education than it currently occupies. To achieve that goal, more knowledge on teachers' conceptions of history of mathematics is needed.
In this paper, I will describe an interview study on Norwegian teachers' conceptions of the history of mathematics. After giving some background, I will describe the method used before discussing the main findings of the study. These findings provide insights that should be taken into account in further attempts to get more teachers to include history of mathematics in their teaching.
Background—Norway
Curriculum: In the Norwegian curriculum for primary and lower secondary schools of 1997, the history of mathematics had a prominent place. One of the six main goals of mathematics was “for pupils to develop insight into the history of mathematics and into its role in culture and science” [13]. In addition, the history of mathematics was mentioned in specific goals for several grades.
Textbooks: In Smestad [27] the textbooks for the new curriculum were analyzed. There was not much content involving the history of mathematics in the textbooks. The texts were not relevant to stimulate pupils' inquiring. In addition, a number of errors were found. The texts mostly consisted of dull, biographical information (such as year of birth and country of origin) and they rarely touched upon the development of concepts, mathematicians' motivations for working on mathematics or how mathematics has been used throughout history.
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- Information
- Publisher: Mathematical Association of AmericaPrint publication year: 2011
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