2008/08/15

Showing you're working

Garrod Musto has written an article that was recently published in Teaching Mathematics and its Applications. The article is entitled Showing you’re working: a project using former pupils’ experiences to engage current mathematics students, and here is the abstract:
To help students view mathematics in a more favourable light, a number of former pupils were contacted and asked to give details of how they use mathematics in their daily lives. This information was gathered through an online questionnaire or visits to the school to talk to pupils—a booklet of responses was also given to students. Attitudinally pre- and post-testing students suggested that this initiative helped address pupils’ concerns regarding the purpose of classroom mathematics. The diversity of professions also helped dispel many myths about the usefulness of mathematics. Subsequently, the project has proven to be a catalyst for a range of cross-curricular projects and events inspired by the former pupils’ case studies, all of which serve to continue to address the initial aims of the project regarding pupil perception of the subject, in the light of both workplace and everyday life.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi many thanks for placing my abstract on your blog site. I am keen to hear from other teachers or researchers in mathematics education who are interested in developing links between the workplace and the mathematics classroom. I have a number of generic templates and resources that I have developed through the project that I would freely share with you, and promote a dialogue in this very important area.
please contact me via e-mail;
gjm@kingswood.bath.sch.uk
Many thanks
Garrod

Unknown said...

Thanks a lot for your comment, Garrod! I am delighted to learn that some of the researchers that have actually written the articles I write about read my blog!

I have sent you a reply to your e-mail address as well.

-r