Public opinion of mathematics has had several radical shifts in the last century which correlate to the global narrative, as described in the article. In brief, the 3 significant focuses on mathematics were:
- immigration and industrialization in WWI/WWII -> focus on math inquiry and science
- technological race during the Cold War -> focus on abstract math and science
- conservative shift -> back-to-basics mathematics with standardized testing
As a teacher, the global (or often national) view on mathematics does play a significant role in various ways. It can affect funding of programs (depending on the importance that society places on math), structure of classrooms and curricula (relating to the current prevailing theories), and specifically the methods and goals of teaching (pertaining to the objectives set out by the curriculum). For example, a new teacher may need to focus on preparing students for a specific test which would greatly limit their breadth of scope. A teacher earlier in the century may be allowed to focus on aiding the student in a myriad of math inquiry projects. Perhaps a teacher in the future would have a flipped classroom where they are simply there to help the student when they are stuck. It is quite dependent on the global, national, and local goals and perceptions of math education, in conjunction with your own abilities and flexibility.
No comments:
Post a Comment