Adults' Mathematical Thinking and Emotions: A Study of Numerate Practice: 15 (Studies in Mathematics Education Series) - Softcover

Evans, Jeff

Softcover

ISBN 10: 075070912X ISBN 13: 9780750709125

Publisher: Routledge, 2000

Synopsis

The crisis around teaching and learning of mathematics and its use in everyday life and work relate to a number of issues. These include: The doubtful transferability of school maths to real life contexts, the declining participation in A level and higher education maths courses, the apparent exclusion of some groups, such as women and the aversion of many people to maths. This book addresses these issues by considering a number of key problems in maths education and numeracy: *differences among social groups, especially those related to gender and social class *the inseparability of cognition and emotion in mathematical activity *the understanding of maths anxiety in traditional psychological, psychoanalytical and feminist theories *how adults' numerate thinking and performance must be understood in context. The author's findings have practical applications in education and training, such as clarifying problems of the transfer of learning, and of countering maths anxiety.

About this title

About the Author

Jeff Evans

From the Back Cover

The perpetual concerns around the teaching and learning of mathematics and its use in work and everyday life, relate to a number of issues:
-- doubts about the transferability of school learning to outside settings
-- declining participation in A-level and higher education mathematics courses
-- under-representation of certain groups, such as females, in mathematics study
-- the aversion of many people to mathematics generally

This book addresses these issues through investigating the following:
-- the ways in which numerate thinking and performance of adults are context-related
-- the inseparability of thinking and emotion, and the consequent ways in which mathematical activity is emotional, and not simply cognitive
-- the understanding of mathematics anxiety in psychological, psychoanalytical and feminist theories
-- social differences in mathematics performance, anxiety and confidence

Drawing on works such as those of Jean Lave and Valerie Walkerdine, and ideas for poststructuralism and psychoanalysis, this volume shows ways of reconceptualising current debates in mathematics education, including its psychological and sociological aspects. It points to ideas for practical applications in education and training, such as clarifying the problems with the transfer of learning, and countering mathematics anxiety. It also illustrates a number of ways of fruitfully combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies in educational research.

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 075070912X
• ISBN 13: 9780750709125
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 312