Preparing teachers for realistic mathematics education

A shift in mathematics education in the Netherlands towards the so-called realistic approach made it necessary to prepare prospective teachers for a type of curriculum different from what they experienced as pupils. This article describes the characteristics of a preservice programme aiming at this goal and presents an analysis of the development of the student teachers' views of mathematics and mathematics education during the programme as well as their classroom behaviour. This analysis is based on two research studies. The first was a longitudinal study in which the student teachers were followed during years by means of questionnaires and interviews. The second was a study in which graduates from this programme were compared with graduates from a more traditional preparation programme by means of two teacher questionnaires and a pupil questionnaire, the latter measuring the pupils' perceptions of the actual teaching behaviour of the graduates. The teacher education programme appeared to be successful in changing the student teachers' views of mathematics education, especially in the direction of a more inquiry oriented approach, and in promoting effective teacher behaviour in the classroom. As far as their facilitating role as a teacher is concerned, the student teachers seemed to go through a two-stage learning process. Most of them reached the first stage, in which they realize that pupils have different preferences for learning and that a variety of possible explanations for problems should be offered. However, only a small number of student teachers seem to reach the second stage, in which they recognize the principle of building on pupils' own constructions, an important feature of realistic mathematics education. Possible explanations for the low impact of the programme, as well as solutions are discussed.     

The use of ICT in teaching religious education in primary school

Education and Information Technologies - The purpose of the present study is to investigate students’ understanding of Religious instruction and more specifically the understanding of the...     

ICT use in the teaching of mathematics: Implications for professional development of pre-service teachers in Ghana

Included in the contemporary mathematics curricula in Ghana is the expectation that mathematics teachers will integrate technology in their teaching. However, importance has not been placed on preparing teachers to use ICT in their instruction. This paper reports on a study conducted to explore the feasibility of ICT use in mathematics teaching at senior high school levels in Ghana. Interviews and survey data were used for data collection. Preliminary results showed that mathematics teachers in Ghana do not integrate ICT in their mathematics instruction. Among the major perceived barriers identified were: Lack of knowledge about ways to integrate ICT in lesson and Lack of training opportunities for ICT integration knowledge acquisition. To overcome some of these barriers, opportunities of a professional development arrangement for pre-service mathematics teachers were explored. Findings from the study revealed specific features of a professional development scenario that matters for ICT integration in mathematics teaching in the context of Ghana.     

The didactical use of models in realistic mathematics education: An example from a longitudinal trajectory on percentage

The purpose of this article is to describe how, within the Dutch approach to mathematics education, called Realistic Mathematics Education (RME), models are used to elicit students' growth in understanding of mathematics. First some background information is given about the characteristics of RME related to the role of models in this approach. Then the focus is on the use of the bar model within a longitudinal trajectory on percentage that has been designed for Mathematics in Context, a curriculum for the U.S. middle school. The power of this model is that it develops alongside both the teaching and the students: from a drawing that represents a context related to percentage to a strip for estimation and reasoning to an abstract tool that supports the use of percentage as an operator. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

试谈数学教学中的美育问题

数学中的美的因素无处不在：简洁性、对称性、和谐性、奇异性，无不闪烁着美的光华．教学教育工作应使这些美因在教学中加以体现，或直观形象，或简洁方式，或扩展想象，让美的思想贯穿于课堂教学的始终．     

数学教学的思想教育功能

本文从数学教学内容、数学实践训练方式、数学发展等几个方面，阐述了数学教学中包含的唯物辩证法思想和具有的思想教育功能。     

小学教育专业高等数学教学探析

从三个方面对小学教育专业高等数学的教学进行了探讨，即：充分展示数学思维过程；突出数学思想方法；突出高等数学与初等数学在内容上的互补性。     

美育在小学数学教学中的渗透

美育在小学数学教育中有着较为重要的地位,但目前理论与实践结合的研究成果较为薄弱,对小学数学教学实践中的美育现状也少有研究。在此,本文提出了美育在小学数学中如何进行渗透的几点建议,为一线的教育工作者提供一些参考!     

基于分层教学理论的高中数学教学

分层教学根据学生的实际情况采用个性化教育方式,解决了"一锅端"、"一刀切"教学所无法解决的问题,尤其适合在水平良莠不齐的教学班中运用。本文从分层教学的定义、学生定位、实施策略几个方面探讨了分层教学在高中数学教学中运用的可行性。     

Evaluating the use of ICT in engineering education

This paper is based on an evaluation of a mixed mode course called Learning Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations from the Web. The authors discuss the impact of information communication technology (ICT) on the provision of tertiary education and cite the course as an example of how it can be used at the subject level. The course employed ICT in a number of different ways. The introductory part of the course was held in a specifically designed video-conferencing facility that had a range of ICT capabilities. The design of the room is critiqued as is the use that was made of it. Throughout the paper the authors emphasize the point that ICT is a powerful tool for teaching and learning but failure to plan, deliver and assess ICT-based courses on sound pedagogical grounds merely means that poor teaching and learning practices are disseminated more widely and more quickly. On the basis of our evaluation we propose a simple set of questions that can be used to evaluate the best use of ICT in engineering education.     

在数学教学中渗透情感教育之我见

前苏联著名教育家马卡连柯认为 :解决教育问题的是教育技巧 ,而教育技巧的全部奥秘就在于如何爱护学生 ,如何沟通师生间的情感。现代教育理论研究指出 :小学生正处于生理发育与发展的阶段 ,是提高素质的重要时期 ,在这个时期学生的心理发展主要体现在情感的发展上。教师只有对学生倾注情感 ,让情感在一些活动或交往中不知不觉地滋生、发展 ,这样 ,学生才会亲其师而信其道。在小学数学教学中渗透情感教育 ,容易消除师生间的情感障碍 ,达到心理相容 ,特别是差生那紧闭的心扉 ,也自然会向教师敞开。一、创设情境 ,激发学生自主学习的情感苏霍姆…     

以数学实验室为基地创新驱动数学课程教学改革

数学作为高校教育的基础课程,教学效果的优劣对高校人才的培养起着关键作用。针对新形势下传统数学课程教学模式已不能适应高校教育需求的问题,分析了目前对数学课程教学改革认识上存在的偏差,并分别从教学目标、教学效果、功效发挥这3个方面阐述了数学实验室建设对促进数学课程教学改革的必要性,以及在人才培养方面所起的作用。     

情境教学在小学数学教育中的应用研究

数学新课程的教学设计尤其注重充分发挥学生的主体作用,这就要求教师要在教学中设计合适的教学情境和教学条件,充分调动学生的学习热情和动力,引导学生主动参与到教学之中。本文以情境教学在小学数学教学中作用、实现情境教学的方法和应注意事项为重点,对情境教学在小学数学教育中的应用开展了较为详细的研究。     

Establishing mathematics for teaching within classroom interactions in teacher education

Teacher educators’ processes of establishing “mathematics for teaching” in teacher education programs have been recognized as an important area for further research. In this study, we examine how two teacher educators establish and make explicit features of mathematics for teaching within classroom interactions. The study shows how the establishment of mathematics for teaching is dependent on the use of keywords from the mathematics education domain, the introduction of variation, and the use of generic communicative strategies. As such, the study could be seen as a contribution to ongoing research on how mathematics teacher educators interactively deal with mathematics for teaching.     

探讨高等数学教学中的创新教育

提出在高等数学的课堂教学时，引入“抽象模式、数学结构”教学法，采取课堂讨论等措施，在高等数学教学中体现创新教育理念。运用督促检查法、网上评阅答疑法、作业评改小组法等方法，改进高等数学作业的评阅方式。采用多渠道评价方式代替单一考试评价方式。对高等数学的这种创新教学的效果进行了调查和分析。     

论中职学校数学教学中的心理健康教育

由于中职学生文化素质较低,在学习上有相当大的困难,其成长过程中产生的逆反心理和脆弱、孤独的封闭心理等问题也影响学习．数学是中职学生学习困难、易于厌学的主要学科之一,成绩的优劣元不与学生心理品质息息相关．因此,数学教学过程要善于捕捉学生心理问题的各种信息,及时了解学生的内心世界,并采取灵活、巧妙的办法,因材施教,适时、适度地渗透心理健康教育,帮助学生妥善地处理心理问题,使学生具有良好的心理品质、健全的人格和较强的社会适应能力,以促进其心理健康发展,从而提高中职学生的数学素质．     

《高等数学》课程教学模式探索与实践

《高等数学》是电大理工专业学生学习的“拦路虎”课程。针对《高等数学》的学科特点,根据学习对象的实际,充分运用各种教学资源和导学手段,培养学生自主学习能力尤为重要。本文提出了三种导学模式,结合自己多年辅导《高等数学》课程的实践,谈了点滴体会。