Mathematical Subjects (eBook)

Children Talk About Their Mathematics Lives

Fiona Walls (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2009 | 2009
XVI, 286 Seiten
Springer US (Verlag)
978-1-4419-0597-0 (ISBN)

Infos

Teaching and learning mathematics is a political act in which children, teachers, parents, and policy makers are made visible as subjects. As they learn about mathematics, children are also learning about themselves - who they are, who they might become. We can choose to listen or not to what children have to say about learning mathematics. Such choices constitute us in relations of power. Mathematical know-how is widely regarded as essential not only to the life chances of individuals, but also to the health of communities and the economic well-being of nations. With the globalisation of education in an increasingly market-oriented world, mathematics has received intensified attention in the first decade of the twenty-first century with a shifting emphasis on utilitarian aspects of mathematics. This is reflected in the reconceptualisation of mathematical competence as mathematical literacy, loosely conceived as those ways of thinking, reasoning and working 'mathematically' that allow us to engage effectively in everyday situations, in many occupations, and the cut and thrust of world economies as active, empowered and participatory citizens. It is no surprise then that mathematics has become one of the most politically charged subjects in primary school curricula worldwide. We are experiencing an unprecedented proliferation of regional and national strategies to establish benchmarks, raise standards, enhance achievement, close gaps, and leave no child behind in mathematics education. Industries have sprung up around the design, administration and monitoring of standardised assessment to measure and compare children's mathematical achievement against identified benchmarks and each other.

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Teaching and learning mathematics is a political act in which children, teachers, parents, and policy makers are made visible as subjects. As they learn about mathematics, children are also learning about themselves - who they are, who they might become. We can choose to listen or not to what children have to say about learning mathematics. Such choices constitute us in relations of power. Mathematical know-how is widely regarded as essential not only to the life chances of individuals, but also to the health of communities and the economic well-being of nations. With the globalisation of education in an increasingly market-oriented world, mathematics has received intensified attention in the first decade of the twenty-first century with a shifting emphasis on utilitarian aspects of mathematics. This is reflected in the reconceptualisation of mathematical competence as mathematical literacy, loosely conceived as those ways of thinking, reasoning and working "e;mathematically"e; that allow us to engage effectively in everyday situations, in many occupations, and the cut and thrust of world economies as active, empowered and participatory citizens. It is no surprise then that mathematics has become one of the most politically charged subjects in primary school curricula worldwide. We are experiencing an unprecedented proliferation of regional and national strategies to establish benchmarks, raise standards, enhance achievement, close gaps, and leave no child behind in mathematics education. Industries have sprung up around the design, administration and monitoring of standardised assessment to measure and compare children's mathematical achievement against identified benchmarks and each other.

Inhalt

Preface 6
Acknowledgements 8
Introduction: An Overview 11
Chapter 1 16
Of Subjects, Subjectivity, and Subjectification: Subjects Made Visible 16
Subjects 18
Subjectivity 20
Subjectification 22
The Role of Discourse 23
Chapter 2 26
Of Archaeology and Genealogy: Choosing Sites and Tools 26
Archaeology 26
Genealogy 27
Children Talk About Their Mathematics Lives: Framing the Research 29
Archaeology, Genealogy and Biography: Researching the Storied Subject 31
Chapter 3 40
Children at Work 40
Meeting the Mathematical Subjects 40
The Shape of “Doing Maths” 48
Working to Rule: Setting Out and Doing Exercises 52
Completing Tasks 55
Working Solo 56
Working to the Text 58
Jessica’s Classroom: “School Mathematics 2”: A Group Activity 59
Rochelle’s Classroom: “Figure It Out”: A Whole Class Activity 60
Worksheets: Tasks for Mathematical Workers 63
Working from the Board 66
Working with Manipulatives 67
Home Work 69
“Doing Maths” as a Discursive Practice 71
The Curriculum View of Doing Mathematics 73
Classrooms as Surfaces of Emergence 74
Mathematical Workers Subjected 76
Chapter 4 78
Tests and Contests 78
The Fast Start: Fleur’s Classroom 78
The Monthly Basic Facts Speed Test: Georgina’s Classroom 80
The Timed Public Performance: Jared’s Classroom 81
Mathematical Combat: Jessica’s Classroom 83
The Maths Race 84
Keeping Up to Speed 87
Speed Activities as Regulatory Practice 94
Looking to the Archive 97
Speed Activities, Power and Control 100
Speed as Mathematical Discourse 101
Chapter 5 103
Error and Correction 103
The Algebra Lesson: Georgina’s Year 3 Classroom 104
Practice Questions: Georgina’s Year 5 Classroom 105
New Learning 108
The Tree Diagram Lesson: Jessica’s Classroom 108
Playing the Question/Answer Game: Dominic’s Classroom 111
Getting it Right: Peter’s Classroom 113
Error and Correction 117
Introducing Written Algorithms: The Right Way to Calculate 119
The Universal Language of Mathematics? 127
Teachers’ Views of Children’s Learning and Knowing of Mathematics 129
Children’s Perspectives of Learning and Knowing Mathematics 130
The Place and Purpose of Learning Mathematics 132
Children’s Views of the Nature of Mathematics 134
Mathematics at Home 136
Teachers’ Views of Mathematics 137
Mathematical Subjectivity: Being Right, Being Wrong 139
Chapter 6 142
The Emergence of Ability 142
Mitchell: “Behind the Eight Ball” 143
Jessica: “Average” or “A Middle Kid” 152
Rochelle: A “Super Smarty Pants” 157
Sorting Children 160
Teachers Talk About Children 164
Fleur 164
Georgina 164
Dominic 164
Jared 165
Liam 165
Peter 165
Toby 166
Mathematical Ability as Discursive Construct 166
Parents Talk About Their Children 168
Children Talk About Themselves 169
Ability in the Archive 173
Inscribing the Mathematically Able Child 176
Chapter 7 182
Form and Formula 182
Doing Maths: The Typical Mathematics Lesson Revisited 183
Understanding Mathematics 187
The Nature and Purpose of Mathematics Continued … 189
Subjected Subjects 192
Chapter 8 193
Measures of Success 193
Standardising the Mathematical Subject 194
Mathematical Subjectivity Through the “Ability” Lens 196
Sorting Mathematically “Able” Subjects 198
Mathematical Minds: Fiction or Truth? 202
Mathematical Subjectivity “Spun” in Family Stories 207
Chapter 9 212
Keeping Up 212
Teacher as Helper 213
Classmates as Helpers 214
Attending Tutorials 214
Engaging Private Tutors 215
Chapter 10 222
The Shape of Life 222
Occupational Subjectivity 223
Choosing Mathematics 226
Chapter 11 235
Girl Time and Boys’ Clubs: Mathematical Genderfication 235
Mathematical Genderfication and Occupational Subjectivity 235
Gendered Lives 236
The Gendered Construction of Occupational Aspiration 237
Family Patterns in Occupational Subjectivity 239
Gendered Mathematical Subjects 242
Genderfication and Mathematical Discourse 246
Mathematical Subjects as Gendered Subjects 248
Chapter 12 250
Background or Foreground? Home, Social Class and Ethnicity 250
Mathematics, Occupational Subjectivity and Social Class in Process 255
Ethnicity 257
Chapter 13 259
Contemplating a Child-Friendly Mathematical Education 259
Children as Mathematical Subjects 264
Anchor 1 270
Anchor 2 272

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 10.8.2009
• Zusatzinfo: XVI, 286 p.
• Verlagsort: Boston
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Schulbuch / Wörterbuch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften
• Themenwelt: Mathematik / Informatik ► Mathematik
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Pädagogik ► Erwachsenenbildung
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Pädagogik ► Schulpädagogik / Grundschule
• Themenwelt: Technik
• Schlagworte: Childhood Education • Early childhood education • Education • educational system • Longitudinal study • mathematics education
• ISBN-10: 1-4419-0597-9 / 1441905979
• ISBN-13: 978-1-4419-0597-0 / 9781441905970