ERIC Number: ED271309
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1982-Jun
Pages: 274
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Mathematical Knowledge and School Work: A Case Study of the Teaching of Developing Mathematical Processes.
Stephens, Walter Maxwell
This study considered the meaning that was given to knowing/doing mathematics in classrooms comprising the observational study conducted by the Wisconsin Center for Education Research during 1978-81. The study interprets the work of teachers and students, and considers what constitutes appropriate mathematical knowledge for children to learn. A field study was employed in two schools where revised topics of Developing Mathematical Processes (DMP) had been taught. Data were gathered from ten teachers using classroom observations and interviews. This study had access to interviews conducted after each topic had been taught. Results showed children learn not only subject matter, but also appropriate forms in which to cast knowledge. Teachers predominantly saw their role as managing efficient transfer of a body of subject matter to students, and children had limited opportunities to engage in creating and testing mathematical knowledge as a result. Teacher modification of DMP activities to meet student needs was predominantly adjustment of instructional procedures rather than content modification. Content was modified when teachers displayed a sense of ownership and control over what they were teaching. In those cases, children were helped to bring personal meaning to what had been learned. The management approach to instruction is related to a center-out model of curriculum, viewing teachers and students as consumers of knowledge. (Author/JM)
Descriptors: Case Studies, Classroom Research, Cognitive Structures, Curriculum Evaluation, Elementary School Mathematics, Field Studies, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Interviews, Mathematics Curriculum, Mathematics Education, Mathematics Instruction, Mathematics Teachers, Primary Education, Social Influences, Teacher Student Relationship, Teaching Methods
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Inst. of Education (ED), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: Wisconsin Center for Education Research, Madison.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A