Mathematicians As Enquirers

by Burton, Leone; Sinclair, Nathalie

• ISBN13: 9781402078590
• ISBN10: 1402078595
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-04-01
• Publisher: Kluwer Academic Pub

Summary

This volume reports on an empirical study with 70 research mathematicians, 35 females and 35 males. The purpose of the study was to explore how these mathematicians came to know mathematics and to match their descriptions against a theoretical model of coming to know mathematics derived from the literature of the history, philosophy and sociology of science and mathematics. The assumption underlying the research was that, when researching, mathematicians are learning and, consequently, their experiences are valid for less sophisticated learners in classrooms. The study provided major surprises particularly with respect to the mathematical thinking of the mathematicians and to the ways in which they organised their practices. It also contradicted long-standing stereotypes. This book applies the learning from the study to learning and teaching mathematics. It offers a rationale, based on the practices of research mathematicians, to support and encourage recent school-based developments in the learning of mathematics through enquiry. The book will be of interest to mathematicians, mathematics educators, teacher educators (mathematics), and higher degree students of mathematics education.

Table of Contents

List of tables
Preface
Acknowledgements
Why this book?	p. 1
A model of how mathematicians come to know : creating, theorising, researching	p. 11
Who were these mathematicians?	p. 33
How do mathematicians think about mathematics?	p. 53
Aesthetics, intuition/insight and the feelings associated with mathematics	p. 63
Meet the mathematicians	p. 91
Mathematicians' practices : finding the problems, collaborating/cooperating and competing	p. 127
Writing for publication	p. 139
Strangers in paradise? : the construction of mathematics as a male community of practice	p. 155
What does it mean to be a mathematical enquirer? : learning as research	p. 177
Outline of interview topics	p. 205
Questions submitted to the participants in advance of the interview	p. 207
Mathematicians writing	p. 209
App. D : Tree diagram of NUD.IST analytical categories	p. 235
References	p. 241
Index	p. 243
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