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Mathematical Cultures pp 9–23Cite as

Birkhäuser

Understanding the Cultural Construction of School Mathematics

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Part of the book series: Trends in the History of Science ((TRENDSHISTORYSCIENCE))

Abstract

In this chapter, I show how culture underpins all aspects of school mathematics, whether it be the curriculum specified by the system, the development of the textbooks that teachers may or may not be compelled to use, the ways teachers teach, the classroom interactions privileged by the system or the beliefs, attitudes and aspirations of teachers, students and parents. To do this, however, I will describe the nature of culture and its educational manifestation.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The adjective public in this context is misleading; an English public school is an elite independent school. Such schools sustain the higher ranks of the civil service and the judiciary, half of all students at Cambridge and Oxford universities, and a disproportionately high number of members of parliament.

  2. 2.

    See https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/239058/SECONDARY_national_curriculum_-_Mathematics.pdf.

  3. 3.

    See http://www.oph.fi/english/publications/2009/national_core_curricula.

  4. 4.

    See http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/dvo/english/.

  5. 5.

    See http://www.okm.gov.hu/letolt/nemzet/kerettanterv36.doc.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

    Paul Andrews

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  1. Paul Andrews
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Correspondence to Paul Andrews .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Humanities, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

    Brendan Larvor

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Andrews, P. (2016). Understanding the Cultural Construction of School Mathematics. In: Larvor, B. (eds) Mathematical Cultures. Trends in the History of Science. Birkhäuser, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28582-5_2

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