Adults' Mathematical Thinking and Emotions: A Study of Numerate Practice

by Evans,Jeff

• ISBN13: 9780750709132
• ISBN10: 0750709138
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-12-28
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

The crisis around teaching and learning mathematics and its use in everyday life and work relate to a number of issues. This book addresses these issues by looking at a number of key problems in maths education and numeracy.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	xi
List of Tables	xii
Series Editor's Preface	xiv
Author's Preface and Acknowledgements	xvi
Introduction: Mathematics, the Difficult Subject	1	(8)
Perpetual Concerns about Mathematics Learning and Use	1	(3)
Developing Ideas and Methodologies for the Study	4	(3)
Overview of the Book	7	(2)
Mathematical Thinking in Context Among Adults	9	(19)
Conceptions of Practical Mathematics and the Context	9	(4)
`Numerical Skills' Approaches	10	(1)
The Cockcroft Report and `Functional' Numeracy	11	(2)
Recent British Surveys of Adult Numeracy	13	(2)
Conceptual Map and Research Questions	15	(4)
Research Setting and Sample of Adults	16	(1)
Developing a Conceptual Map	17	(1)
Research Questions	17	(2)
Survey Results for Performance and Context	19	(6)
Overall Levels of Performance	19	(4)
Specification of Contexts of Performance: School Mathematics and Practical Maths	23	(2)
Conclusions	25	(3)
Mathematics Performance and Social Difference	28	(14)
Gender Differences	28	(2)
Social Class Differences	30	(3)
Conceptual Map and Research Questions	33	(1)
Survey and Modelling Results for Gender Differences in Performance	34	(4)
Survey and Modelling Results for Social Class Differences in Performance	38	(1)
Conclusions	39	(3)
Affect and Mathematics Anxiety	42	(27)
Affect and Anxiety	43	(2)
Psychological Conceptions and Measures of Anxiety	45	(3)
Mathematics Anxiety, Measures and Relationships	48	(6)
Two Measures	49	(2)
Dimensions of Mathematics Anxiety	51	(2)
Mathematics Anxiety, Performance and Social Difference	53	(1)
Model A: Conceptual Map and Research Questions	54	(2)
Survey and Modelling Results: Contexts of Mathematics Anxiety	56	(5)
Initial Considerations	56	(1)
Factors of Mathematics Anxiety	57	(4)
Survey and Modelling Results: Social Differences and Mathematics Anxiety	61	(2)
Survey and Modelling Results: Mathematics Anxiety and Performance	63	(2)
Conclusions	65	(4)
Reflections on the Study So Far	69	(5)
Rethinking the Context of Mathematical Thinking	74	(33)
A Range of Views on the Meanings of Context and the Possibilities of Transfer	75	(3)
The Turn to the Social: Sociocultural Approaches and Situated Cognition	78	(16)
Situated Cognition: Jean Lave	80	(6)
The Turn to Representations: Street Mathematics and Computer Microworlds	86	(8)
The Turn to Language: Structuralist and Poststructuralist Approaches	94	(5)
Discourse and Boundaries: Basil Bernstein	95	(1)
Discursive Practice and Relations of Signification: Valerie Walkerdine	96	(3)
Conceptualising Contexts, Practices, Boundaries and Bridges	99	(5)
Contexts and the Practices at Play	99	(2)
Relations Between Practices: Boundaries and Bridges	101	(3)
Conclusions	104	(3)
Rethinking Mathematical Affect as Emotion	107	(28)
'No Emotion, Please! We're Researching Mathematics'	108	(1)
Model B: Process Conceptions of Affect and Anxiety in Mathematics	109	(4)
Model C: Approaches Informed by Psychoanalysis	113	(7)
Basic Ideas: Freud and Lacan	113	(3)
Studies Done Within a Psychoanalytic Perspective	116	(4)
Model D: A Psychoanalytic Approach, Informed by Poststructuralism	120	(10)
Cultural and Emotional Differences in Mathematical Activity	121	(6)
Poststructuralist Views on the Gendering of Mathematics	127	(3)
Conclusions	130	(5)
Developing a Complementary Qualitative Methodology	135	(15)
Themes or Foreshadowed Problems	135	(5)
Focus and Methodology of the Interview	140	(5)
Psychoanalytic Insights in the Interview Process	141	(1)
Areas for Exploration and Developing Indicators	142	(3)
Doing the Interviews	145	(2)
Sampling Methods and Recruitment	145	(1)
The Conduct of the Interview	145	(1)
The General Reflexive Account	146	(1)
Overview of the Analysis of the Interviews	147	(2)
Summary	149	(1)
Reconsidering Mathematical Thinking and Emotion in Practice	150	(31)
Theme 1: Contexts of Thinking Ascribed in Terms of Positioning in Practices	150	(6)
Theme 2: Inseparability of Task and Context	156	(4)
Theme 3: Gender and Social Class Differences in Performance Related to Positioning	160	(5)
Abstract Calculation of 10 per cent	160	(2)
Calculation of 10 per cent Tip	162	(1)
Approximate and Exact Calculations of 9 per cent Pay Increase	162	(3)
Theme 4: Numerate Thinking as Specific to the Subject's Positioning	165	(6)
Strategies Used: Best Buy Shopping Decision	165	(5)
Methods of Critical Evaluation	170	(1)
Theme 5: Emotion Pervades Mathematical Thinking - 'Mathematics is Hot'	171	(3)
Theme 6: Gender Differences in Expressing Anxiety	174	(2)
Conclusions	176	(5)
The Learners' Stories	181	(44)
Overview of Themes to be Analysed	181	(1)
Case Studies	182	(35)
Jean's Story	183	(3)
Ellen's Story	186	(5)
Fiona's Story	191	(5)
Harriet's Story	196	(5)
Alan's Story	201	(3)
Donald's Story	204	(6)
Peter's Story	210	(7)
Conclusions	217	(8)
Conclusions and Contributions	225	(17)
Mathematical Thinking and Emotions in Practice: Contributions to Theory	225	(8)
Mathematical Thinking and Performance in School and Everyday Contexts	225	(3)
The Relationship Between Thinking and Emotion: Mathematics is 'Hot'	228	(2)
Gender and Other Social Differences	230	(2)
Rethinking the 'Transfer' of Learning	232	(1)
Ideas for Pedagogy and Practice	233	(4)
Adult-Friendly Contexts for Learning	234	(1)
Reclaiming Numeracy	235	(2)
Questions of Methodology and Further Research	237	(5)
Fruitfully Combining Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches	237	(2)
Further Research	239	(3)
Appendix 1 Questionnaire Design and Fieldwork	242	(10)
Questionnaire Design, Indicators and Coding	242	(1)
Fieldwork	243	(2)
The Questionnaire	245	(7)
Appendix 2 Interview Problems for Solution	252	(7)
Notes	259	(14)
Bibliography	273	(15)
Index	288