More students doing more maths? Student attitudes to mathematics and perceptions of its teaching in a new post-compulsory course

In England, a relatively new set of post-16 qualifications has been developed under the umbrella term ‘Core Maths’, with a focus on the application of mathematics in context, including the kinds of mathematics needed to support other subjects, to provide a sound basis for the mathematical demands of higher education and employment and to develop problem-solving skills for use in life. The UK government has an ambition that all post-16 students should be studying some mathematics, and Core Maths was designed in part with this aspiration in mind. In this paper, longitudinal questionnaire data from over 100 Core Maths students in 13 case study institutions are analysed to measure students’ views of teaching as transmissionist, their mathematical dispositions and self-identification and how these change over a year of studying Core Maths. We find some evidence that pedagogy in lessons is perceived as being less transmissionist than it was in school mathematics pre-16. There is also some evidence of a negative change in students’ mathematical dispositions over a year of Core Maths. We conclude that supporting teachers in embedding new pedagogical approaches remains a challenge and that this issue could inhibit the growth of new qualifications like Core Maths.

O estudo de um problema da engenharia civil à luz da teoria a matemática no contexto das ciências

ResumoApresentamos por meio deste artigo um recorte do trabalho de doutorado que estamos desenvolvendo com o objetivo de discutir o ensino e a aprendizagem de Equações Diferenciais Ordinárias lineares (EDO) em um curso de Engenharia Civil. Como embasamento teórico, adotamos pressupostos da Matemática no Contexto das Ciências (MCC) e do modelo didático associado a tal referencial, o Modelo Didático da Matemática em Contexto (MoDiMaCo). Por meio de um livro texto utilizado como referência principal na disciplina não matemáticas do curso citado, guiada pela etapa central da metodologia Dipcing, inserida em uma das fases da MCC, a curricular, foi identificado, a partir desta análise, uma situação com potencial para gerar um evento contextualizado a partir de um problema clássico dessa habilitação de Engenharia. A proposta deste artigo é apresentar tal evento, bem como trazer uma análise a priori da situação de ensino, com o intuito de introduzir o conceito de equações diferenciais separáveis. Tais situações nos servirão de base para a construção de uma sequência de ensino contextualizando as EDO a ser desenvolvida em aulas para alunos dependência no curso de Engenharia Civil. Palavras-chave: Educação Matemática; Engenharia; Equações Diferenciais Ordinárias; Matemática no Contexto da Ciência..AbstractThis article presents a bibliographic research that aims to present an overview of the Through this article we present an excerpt of the doctoral work that we are developing with the objective of discussing the teaching and learning of linear Ordinary Differential Equations (EDO) in a Civil Engineering course. As a theoretical basis, we adopted assumptions of Mathematics in the Context of Sciences (MCC) and the didactic model associated with such reference, the Didactic Model of Mathematics in Context (MoDiMaCo). Through a textbook used as the main reference in the non-mathematical discipline of the mentioned course, guided by the central stage of the Dipcing methodology, inserted in one of the phases of the MCC, the curriculum, a situation with potential for generate a contextualized event from a classic problem of this Engineering qualification. The purpose of this article is to present such an event, as well as to bring an a priori analysis of the teaching situation, in order to introduce the concept of separable differential equations. Such situations will serve as a basis for the construction of a teaching sequence contextualizing the ODE to be developed in classes for dependency students in the Civil Engineering course.Keywords: Mathematics Education; Engineering; Ordinary Differential Equations; Mathematics in the Context of Science.

Didáctica de la matemática en contexto Didactics of mathematics in context

ResumenEn el artículo se presentan resultados de investigaciones que dan origen a la didáctica de la Matemática en Contexto, la cual forma parte de la Fase Didáctica de la teoría educativa denominada Matemática en el Contexto de las Ciencias, cuyas investigaciones que la generan se insertan en la línea de investigación de la Matemática Social. Para la Matemática en Contexto, de forma breve, se incluye su fundamentación teórica, se describe la didáctica y su implementación. Ésta persigue trabajo interdisciplinario y disciplinario, con dos ejes rectores: la contextualización y la descontextualización, cuya herramienta de trabajo son los eventos contextualizados que abordan los estudiantes en equipos colaborativos, así como actividades de aprendizaje con el uso de tecnología como mediadora del aprendizaje.AbstractThrough this paper are presented results from several educational research which generate the Mathematic in Context didactic. It is included in didactic phase of Mathematics in the Context of Sciences theory and the research which generated the last one is in the Social Mathematics investigation line. For Mathematics in Context are included their theoretical foundation, their description and their implementation. The interdisciplinary and disciplinary work is persecutes; it has two axis: contextualized and descontextualized, and their work tool is contextualized events which are worked by students collaborative teams, as like learning activities with technology as learning scaffolding.

Competências matemáticas: perspectivas da SEFI e da MCC Mathematical competences: perspectives of SEFI and the MCC

No presente artigo, de cunho teórico-bibliográfico, apresentam-se considerações a respeito da ideia de educação baseada em competências, para, então, discutir aspectos relacionados ao desenvolvimento de competências matemáticas pelo futuro engenheiro a partir de duas perspectivas: a do Mathematics Working Group da Société Européenne pour La Formation des Ingénieurs e a da teoria A Matemática no Contexto das Ciências, que por meio de uma noção mais ampla de competência, volta sua atenção não apenas àquelas relacionadas a conhecimentos matemáticos, mas também às profissionais e laborais, que, segundo preconiza essa teoria, podem ser desenvolvidas nas aulas de Matemática dos cursos de Engenharia se estes forem conduzidos segundo o Modelo Didático da Matemática em Contexto.In this theoric-bibliografic paper we want to show considerations about education ideas based on competences, therefore we will debate associated aspects to the Mathematics Competences development by the future engineer based on two perspectives: the Mathematics Working Group from the Société Européenne pour La Formation des Ingénieurs and the theory of Mathematic in the Sciences Context, using a amplified competence focused not only in those related to the mathematics knowledge but also the professional and labor ones, it can be developed in mathematic classes presentes in engineers graduation if they were teached by the Didatic Model of Mathematics in Context.

PEMBELAJARAN MATEMATIKA DENGAN PENDEKATAN MATHEMATICS IN CONTEXT PADA KEMAMPUAN DAN KETERAMPILAN BERPIKIR KREATIF

The purpose of this study is to determine the increase of creative thinking ability and creative thinking skill in mathematics learning with mathematic in context approach. The technique analisys used is the average comparative test for pretest and posstest data. To see an increased creative thinking skill, researcher compare the average value of creative thinking skills from the first meeting, the meeting II and III meeting. The result showed that there is an increasing of creative thinking ability and crtative thinking skill in mathematics learning with mathematic in context approach.