ERIC Number: EJ800614
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0732-3123
EISSN: N/A
Research, Practice, Uncertainty and Responsibility
Skovsmose, Ole
Journal of Mathematical Behavior, v25 n4 p267-284 2006
Three issues concerning the relationship between research and practice are addressed. (1) A certain "prototype mathematics classroom" seems to dominate the research field, which in many cases seems selective with respect to what practices to address. I suggest challenging the dominance of the discourse created around the prototype mathematics classroom. (2) I find it important to broaden the school-centred discourse on mathematics education and to address the very different out-of-school practices that include mathematics. Many of these practices are relevant for interpreting what is taking place in a school context. That brings us to (3) socio-political issues of mathematics education. When the different school-sites for learning mathematics as well as the many different practices that include mathematics are related, we enter the socio-political dimension of mathematics education. On the one hand we must consider questions like: Could socio-political discrimination be acted out through mathematics education? Could mathematics education exercise a regimentation and disciplining of students? Could it include discrimination in terms of language? Could it include sexism and racism? On the other hand: Could mathematics education bring about competencies which can be described as empowering, and as supporting the development of mathematical literary or a "mathemacy", important for the development of critical citizenship? However, there is no hope for identifying a one-way route to mathemacy. More generally: There is no simple way of identifying the socio-political functions of mathematics education. Mathematics education has to face uncertainty, and this challenge brings us to the notion of responsibility.
Descriptors: Mathematics Education, Political Issues, Gender Bias, Theory Practice Relationship, Educational Research, Relevance (Education), Social Influences, Social Discrimination, Social Bias, Empowerment, Mathematics Skills, Role of Education
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Practitioners; Researchers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A