What Makes a Teaching Practice an Epistemic one? Analyzing a Mathematics Teaching Project.

Author(s):

Inger ErikssonViveca Lindberg

Conference:

ECER 2010

Network:

27. Didactics - Learning and Teaching

Format:

Paper

Session Information

27 SES 07 B, Approaches to Science

Paper Session

Time:

2010-08-26

15:30-17:00

Room:

M.B. SALI 12, Päärakennus / Main Building

Chair:

Contribution

This paper is related to the praxis-develomental collaborative research project "the Farsta Project" conducted in Sweden 2004-2006. The aim of the project was to explore the meaning of the goals to strive for (≈ subject specific qualities of knowing) stated in the Swedish National mathematics syllabus, in order to design and try out experimental teaching related to these goals, i.e. a capabilityto solve mathematical problems. The goals to strive for in the Swedish curriculum can be used as broad descriptions of subject specific competencies to be devoloped during the nine year compulsury school. These goals indicate an eduactional practice where knowledge is approached as something to be explored and problematized rather than seen as something to be transmitted. Another way of understanding these indications is to consider subject specific knowledge as something that has to be developed through participation in an epistemic practice. The issue in this paper is what contributes to making a teaching practice an epistemic one.

Method

The project was developed as a collaborative project with teachers, educational researchers and matematical researchers. The data used in this presentation was produced during the second project year. The content chosen was equation, since the teachers experienced that students had difficulties to master equations as a method in problem solving assignments. The collaborative work was divided into to parts. Firstly, we analysed mathematical textbooks in order to explore which assignments actually requested equation as a method for solving them. The result was that most assignments were easier to solve using other methods. Secondly, the collaborative work was directed towards design of experimental teaching. In this work we drew upon Davydov’s ideas of Developmental teaching. In relation to this we aimed at developing assignments that, in their construction, require these capabilities here a confidant use of equations. This type of assignments we named key-assignments or epistemic assignments.

Expected Outcomes

In this paper we describe teachers' use of one assignment, which, according to our judgement, had the potential of becoming a key-assignment. A conclusion is that assignments cannot be designed as epistemic assignments; instead they become (or will not become) epistemic as a consequence of the teaching practice, the tasks given to the pupils and the tools provided.

References

Carlgren, I. (2006). A paradigmatic shift in teachers’ work. From teaching courses to teaching for competencies. Paper presented at the WCSC conference May 21–24, 2006 in Tampere, Finland. Chaiklin, S. (2006). Practice-Developing Research: Introduction to a Future Science. Paper presenterat vid seminarieserien Examensarbete och skolutveckling, LHS hösten 2006. Chaiklin, S. (1999) Developmental teaching in upper-secondary school, in: M. Hedegaard & J. Lompscher (Eds) Learning activity and development (Aarhus, Aarhus University Press). Davydov, V. V. (1990) Types of generalization in instruction (Reston, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics). (original work published 1972) Knorr Cetina, K. (2001). Objectual practice. In T. R. Schatzki, K. Knorr Cetina & E. von Savigny (Eds). The Practice Turn in Contemporary Theory. London, Routledge. van Oers, B. (2001). Educational forms of initiation in mathematical culture. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 46, 59-85. Ryle, G. (1963). Knowing how and knowing that. In The concept of mind (pp. 26-60). London: Penguin. (316 s)

Author Information

Inger Eriksson

Bergen University College

Teacher Education

Bergen

Viveca Lindberg

Stockholm university

Department of Didactic Science and Early Childhood Education

Stockholm

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