To encourage students to do geometry, the art of Islamic geometric ornamentation was chosen as the central theme of a lesson strand which was developed using the newly presented didactical tool called "Learning by Acting". The Dutch students who took these lessons in 2010 to 2013 were challenged to act as if they themselves were Persian…

Drawing on the work of Gattegno, it is suggested that a powerful way of teaching mathematics is to introduce symbols as relationships between visible or tangible resources. The symbols are abstract (formal) from the beginning and yet there are concrete resources to support their use. Drawing on data from a research project in primary schools in…

In Sweden often immigrant students' failure in mathematics is explained by referring to deficit discourses. To critique that our aim have been to highlight the complexity of the situation in which immigrant students are positioned, by interrogating their perspectives on mathematics homework and the importance of parental support, as well as…

Based on a study about using original sources with Danish upper secondary students, the paper addresses the potential outcome of such an approach in regard to the so-called recruitment problem to the mathematical sciences. 24 students were exposed to questionnaire questions and 16 of these to follow-up interviews, which form the basis for both a…

The notion of temporal range is introduced and discussed in this paper. Two dimensions of temporal range are identified: mathematical temporality relating to mathematical ideas, their precursors and horizons; and a mathematical learning temporality where what students say/do provides the ground on which future learning can be built. These…

It might be trite to observe that every research study is framed within a cultural background. In this paper we argue that the description of the cultural background is important for discussing, evaluating and exploiting internationally the findings of local educational studies. This issue is fundamental in every study in mathematics education…

The Math Wars have been raging since the 1990's in the United States, where the world of mathematics education has become polarised into two camps: the reformers and the traditionalists. In this article I explore the background to the Math Wars, with specific reference to conflicting ideologies of mathematics education. I draw parallels with…

As part of a larger project focused on transforming mathematics education for Aboriginal students in Atlantic Canada, this paper reports on the role of the Mi'kmaw language in mathematics teaching. Examining how mathematical concepts are described in Mi'kmaq gives insight into ways of thinking. Shifting classroom discussions to reflect Mi'kmaw…

What is the relationship between research mathematics and the mathematics that arises in non-academic mathematical practices? I answer this question in terms of situated mathematical research, which comprises situated mathematical interpretations and situated mathematical applications. A situated mathematical interpretation of a practice takes…

We report on an experiment conducted with pre-service teachers in France and in Quebec. They were submitted to a classroom situation involving regular polyhedra. We expected that through the activities of defining, of exploring and experimenting via concrete constructions and manipulation, students would reflect on the link face angle--dihedral…

This paper analyses how the mathematical knowledge needed by a teacher has been described by several mathematics educators, all based on Shulman's notions of Subject Matter Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge. In particular, it looks at the notion of Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching, as elaborated by Ball and her research group. It then…

The first goal of this article to show the profound difference between how equality and similarity are understood in Greek geometry and how they are presented in modern mathematics classes. It highlights that the formula "equal-and-similar" reflects the distinct character of "equal" and "similar" as signs in Greek mathematical discourse. The…

Classroom mathematics in Malta is generally communicated through code-switching between the national language Maltese and the country's second language English. This is because not all mathematical words have Maltese equivalents and furthermore, mathematics textbooks are UK publications. I consider the language used for spoken communication and…

It is argued that the discourse currently regulating early years mathematical development in the UK and elsewhere is "producing its own truths" in an unhelpfully narrowing way, restricting the objects, imagery, and symbols involved to those arising within "everyday" or "realistic" situations, and producing an apparently "natural" development to…

Explains why mathematics lectures have a special role in stimulating the imagination and why attending lectures has a significant role in inducting students into their university's mathematical community. (KHR)