The Sociology Of Mathematics Education: Mathematical Myths / Pedagogic Texts (studies In Mathematics Education Series : 7)

Until the 1960s, maths was studied as an academic subject in a desire to have more mathematicians. The current trend, however, has moved away from viewing maths as a purely intellectual endeavour and towards developing a more mathematically competent workforce and citizenry. This trend has seen a large increase in the number of maths schemes being produced by the major educational publishers, which attempt to make maths "easier" and more "approachable" by using language instead of symbols. So why do so many children still "fail" at maths? The author contends that to understand this, teachers need to analyze and evaluate the maths textbooks they are currently using. The author shows the reader how to systematically analyze and evaluate these textbooks. This interrogation of classroom resources, should have important implications for teaching strategies and for textbook design and use.

raises Two Important And Related Issues: The Changing Social Aspects Of Math And The Quality Of Math Schemes And Textbooks. Math Is No Longer A Subject Studies By Intellectuals But Has Become A Subject For Study By All Children Aged 5 To 16 Years. The Continuing Failure Of Many Children In This Subject Is Cause For Concern. Dowling Critically Examines Textbooks, And The Part They Play In Children's Learning. He Clearly Shows The Reader How To Analyze And Evaluate Textbooks They Are Currently Using. This Interrogation Of Classroom Resources Has Important Implications For Teaching Strategies And For Textbook Design And Use.

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dowling (education, U. Of London) Uses Social Activity Theory And Semiotics To Investigate The Pedagogic Texts Used In The British Secondary School Mathematics Scheme, Smp 11-16. His Central Concerns Include The Relationship Of Mythical Forms To The Strategies That Constitute The Texts, The Manner In Which School Mathematics Is Established As A Set Of Practices, And The Divisions And Distributions Within Mathematics And Between Mathematics And Other Practices. Distributed By Taylor & Francis. Annotation C. By Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of Figures and Tables......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 12 Preface by Series Editor......Page 14 Mathematical Myths......Page 18 Juggling Pots and Texts......Page 41 Sociology, Education and the Production of 'Ability'......Page 66 The Analysis of School Texts: Some Empirical Antecedents......Page 87 Towards a Language of Description: Some Theoretical Antecedents......Page 104 Constructive Description and Social Activity Theory......Page 141 An Introduction to the Empirical Text......Page 187 The Textualizing of Algebra......Page 207 Genres of Production......Page 233 Setting and the Public Domain......Page 259 Interpellating the Teacher......Page 289 Disturbing and Re-establishing Equilibrium......Page 305 References and Bibliography......Page 323 Index......Page 343 The author argues that the reason why children still 'fail' at maths at school - despite the shift to 'easier' and more 'approachable' maths teaching since the 1960s - is because of the textbooks in use.