Summary
Contents
Subject index
Why is it that so many pupils are put off by maths, seeing it as uninspiring and irrelevant, and that so many choose to drop it as soon as they can? Why is it socially acceptable to be bad at maths? Does the maths curriculum really prepare pupils for life? This book presents some answers to these questions, helping teachers to think through their own attitudes to teaching and learning, and to work with pupils towards more effective and inspiring mathematical engagement. Part I of the book explores the nature of school mathematics - showing how the curriculum has been developed over the years, and how increasing effort has been devoted to improving the quality of mathematics teaching, with little apparent effect. Part II focuses on ways of thinking about classroom mathematics which take account of social, cultural, political and historical aspects. The chapters bring together a collection of activities, resources and discussion which will help teachers develop new ways of teaching and learning maths. This book will be essential reading for all maths teachers, including maths specialists on initial teacher training courses.
Mathematics – The Subject We Love to Hate
Mathematics – The Subject We Love to Hate
This chapter sets the scene for what follows in this book. Why and how does a general antipathy towards things mathematical get perpetuated in schools and society? What part does school mathematics play in the production and reproduction of such attitudes? We will also begin to question the various roles that mathematics has in the school curriculum and how these might be reconceptualized. Who is well served by school mathematics and how should the twenty-first-century citizen be educated mathematically? This is of course a political question and this chapter introduces the socio-political thread that weaves through the chapters. The important and complex questions introduced here will be explored in greater ...
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