Lerman, Stephen, Constructivism, mathematics and mathematics education, Education al Studies in Mathematics, 1989, Springer Netherlands, 211-223, 20,2

Abstract: Learning theories such as behaviourism, Piagetian theories and cogniti ve psychology, have been dominant influences in education this century. This art icle discusses and supports the recent claim that Constructivism is an alternati ve paradigm, that has rich and significant consequences for mathematics educatio n. In the United States there is a growing body of published research that claim s to demonstrate the distinct nature of the implications of this view. There are , however, many critics who maintain that this is not the case, and that the res earch is within the current paradigm of cognitive psychology. The nature and ton e of the dispute certainly at times appears to describe a paradigm shift in the Kuhnian model. In an attempt to analyse the meaning of Constructivism as a learn ing theory, and its implications for mathematics education, the use of the term by the intuitionist philosophers of mathematics is compared and contrasted. In p articular, it is proposed that Constructivism in learning theory does not bring with it the same ontological commitment as the Intuitionists' use of the term, a nd that it is in fact a relativist thesis. Some of the potential consequences fo r the teaching of mathematics of a relativist view of mathematical knowledge are discussed here. Gainsburg, Julie, Real-world connections in secondary mathematics teaching, Jour nal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 2008, Springer Netherlands, 199-219, 11,3 Abstract The mathematics-education community stresses the importance of real-world connec tions in teaching. The extant literature suggests that in actual classrooms this practice is infrequent and cursory, but few studies have specifically examined whether, how, and why teachers connect mathematics to the real world. In this st udy, I surveyed 62 secondary mathematics teachers about their understanding and use of real-world connections, their purposes for making connections in teaching , and factors that support and constrain this practice. I also observed 5 teache rs making real-world connections in their classrooms and I conducted follow-up i nterviews; these qualitative data are used to illuminate findings from the surve y data. The results offer an initial portrayal of the use of real-world connecti ons in secondary mathematics classes and raise critical issues for more targeted research, particularly in the area of teacher beliefs about how to help differe nt kinds of students learn mathematics.