Math Wars – Alan H. Schoenfeld. University of California at Berkeley
Summary
Schoenfeld raised concern about the needless math wars that went on some decades ago in the United States between the extreme reform camp who advocated for new approaches to teaching and learning math, and the extreme traditionalist camp who believed that these new approaches in teaching math will only lead to the ineligibility of students not being able to go to college. No matter how some stand to benefit from the conflict or maybe believe in these conflicts, the author believes there is a large middle ground which is sought by many teachers. He cited Daro (2003) who offers a draft “Math Wars Peace Treaty” to stay in the large middle ground.:
- · Teachers, especially K –8 teachers, should learn more mathematics throughout their careers;
- No students should be denied a fair chance to learn mathematics because they have been assigned unqualified mathematics teachers.
- Research and evidence should be used whenever it is available to inform decisions.
Reading this article reminded me of Goldin’s (2003, p.198) ‘Dismissive Epistemologies’ (read in EDCP 550 the last term) about how detrimental these math wars among educationists (Behaviorists, Social constructivists, and Radical constructivists) can be to teachers, students and researchers. Goldin (2003, p. 198) admonishes us, “to thoughtfully reincorporate mathematical and scientific truth, objectivity, correctness, and validity, alongside other ideas, in the thinking of the mathematics education research community”.
Schoenfeld concluded that these wars have casualties – our children, who do not receive the kind of robust mathematics education they should. We should all try and get along with our diversified ideas.
Reflection
I am wondering if these math wars are still going on? Could there be such wars brewing in our own backyard (schools)?
References
Daro, P. (2003). Math wars peace treaty. Draft manuscript, available from the author.
Goldin, G. A. (2003). Developing Complex Understandings: On the Relation of Mathematics Education Research to Mathematics. Source: Educational Studies in Mathematics, Vol. 54, No. 2/3, Connecting Research, Practise, and Theory in the Development and Study of Mathematics Education (2003), pp. 171-202
Hi Milli,
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember that Goldin article. Thanks for bringing it to our attention again!
I like the idea of a peace treaty that you mention. And I agree that teachers need to continue to learn mathematics throughout our careers. The more mathematics we learn and understand, the more credible we can be in conversations with colleagues, administrators, parents, and the public.
The thing that's upsetting, though, is that Boaler does cite legitimate research and she is still called into question by mathematicians on the other side of the debate.
In answer to your questions, I personally haven't felt the math wars in my career. In the independent schools in which I've worked, everyone (teachers, admin, and parents) is on board for an inquiry-based, problem-solving approach to mathematics that emphasizes in-depth understanding over processes and fluency. I've seen some anxiety around this math reform, such as "How do I help my child?" or "How do I teach in this way?" but not the obstinate resistance that is mentioned in these articles.
Thanks, Milli.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate the more positive position that Schoenfeld takes in this work, in terms of proposing a 'peace treaty'. I connected with your questions because, unfortunately, this does seem to be happening at a local level. I joined Twitter a few years ago to follow the work of a particular math mentor of mine that works in the Richmond School District. This platform allowed me to connect with other mathematics teachers, become informed about upcoming workshops, and stay on top of current 'best practice' in mathematics outside of my own school district. Unfortunately, my math mentor began to be targeted online based on issues very similar to the ones outlined in the readings from this week. Luckily, she did not shy away from continuing her online presence, and continues to challenge these ideas in a responsible dialogue, backed up by research. She is also careful to warn us that there is almost always 'one study' that will back up an argument, and we need to be careful to provide several sources when coming up against criticism.