The teaching and learning of mathematics and family formation
Mathematics is a field of knowledge in which families make many efforts to help / work with their children to understand and learn. We found many examples of fathers, mothers, brothers, etc.., Who sit every day to help their sons and daughters and brothers and sisters with math homework. This matter has been the subject in recent decades of a major transformation in the application of innovative teaching strategies. Research in mathematics education has provided much information as is necessary to sequence and / or structure the teaching of mathematics, what are the difficulties, where problems arise and obstacles, and what to do to solve them successfully.
Gradually, the world of teaching has applied this knowledge from research and there have been intense discussions among the international scientific community (still alive today), between researchers and teachers recommend one way or another of how to teach mathematics.
This has meant that, overall, in textbooks and on the ways and means used by teachers in the classroom, we found some significant differences between how mathematics is taught now and how it was one or two generations ago. This fact, that there are also notable differences in some aspects of mathematics education between countries means that sometimes the desire to help children with math is not so simple. Sometimes families find they do not know how to explain the faculty, or claim to have forgotten what they had done themselves in school and need a previous support to help their sons and daughters.
Formació of professorat projects per educació of familiars a multiculturals contexts (ARIE 00026) and per Formació of familiars to inclusive schooling (ARIE 00011) are an example of family formation. Through these two research projects has been promoted by a family side training in Catalonia, through the participation of a school's learning community. On the other hand, have also been analyzed which elements to keep in mind to promote family formation. In this sense, it is necessary to say that one of the key points to family formation in mathematics work is the involvement of families. And this is an issue that often presents difficulties as previous research internationally. The recruitment is not always easy. One element of success is the inclusion of the voices of the families in their own approach to training. Need to be designed in partnership with families, teachers and the team dynamic training program is really responding to the demands of both families, as the institutions. Do it from a democratic perspective, involving base all involved ("equal dialogue" dialogic learning) makes a big difference as to other training of family members (Epstein, Jackson, & Rashid, 2006, Hoover-Dempsey Sandler & 1995).
On the other hand, take into account the differences in each of the families who want to participate in family formation is also another element that explains the success of math workshops that have been held in the Learning Community has participated in projects i ARIE ARIE 00026 00011 ("equality of differences" dialogic learning, concept of funds of knowledge developed by Moll and colleagues, and culturally relevant pedagogy concept proposed by Ladson-Billings). As mentioned, mathematics can be taught in different ways and to consider different ways to do it, to learn together and enrich our knowledge, is a form of:
- Legitimize other ways of doing mathematics.
- Establish meaningful connections from what they already know each.
- Promoting inclusive interactions which are designed to instrumental learning of what is currently done in Catalan schools.
Learn different ways to make math does not mean imposing the form currently used by teachers in Catalan schools, not only validate the forms used by families to help with math to their children. It means sharing everything, to learn everything. For example, validating means factoring the intuitive method that is used in countries as diverse as USA or Armenia and teach a systematic procedure to use in Catalan schools. It means using a curriculum based on realistic mathematics Freundenthal Institute but also means addition and subtraction sheets mentally. Means memorizing the multiplication tables but also learn other strategies to solve multiplication, as repeated addition.
In conclusion, math workshops (math training for families) are, above all, a dialogic space (Díez-Palomar & Molina, 2009) where participants feel free to share and learn mathematical skills and where they can find resources and people to respond to your questions on specific topics in mathematics.
Javier Díez, Professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona
To know more
Familiars Formació of a schooling inclusive per
- References
Díez-Palomar, J., & Molina Roldan, S. (2009). Contributions of mathematical education of families to teacher training. Paper presented at the Conference SEIEM (Spanish Society for Research in Mathematics Education).
Epstein, Y., Jackson, K., & Rashid, H. (2006). An analysis of parent components of reform-oriented elementary mathematics curricula. Paper presented at the Research Pre-Session of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, St. Louis, MO.
Arrow, R. (2000). Sharing Words. Theory and Practice of Dialogic Learning. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
Hoover-Dempsey, KV, & Sandler, HM (1995). Parent Involvement in children's education: Why does it make a difference? Teachers College Record, 97 (2), 310-331.
Ladson-Billings, G. (2006). 2006 Presidential Address: From the achievement gap to the education debt: Understanding achievement in U.S. schools. Educational Researcher, 35 (7), 3-12.
Moll, L., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & González, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory into Practice, 31, 132-141.
- Links
Patagonian Group Mathematics Education
