Chapter 1

The learning and teaching of

mathematics
Learning objectives

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

• discuss the importance of mathematics in modern society, including fundamental aspects of

mathematical literacy and numeracy (APST 2.1)

• summarise the key features of some important theories about student learning (APST 1.1)

• examine some recent advances in the field of neuroscience and their implications for

mathematics learning (APST 1.2)

• identify some ways in which teachers can promote student engagement in mathematics lessons

(APST 4.1).
© Cambridge University Press 2021
Mathematics for the twenty-first century
• Mathematical understanding is crucial in laying a strong foundation for study
beyond secondary school in a range of disciplines.

• Developing mathematical understanding and becoming more numerate helps

students to interpret a range of practical situations, allowing them to make more
informed decisions in their everyday lives.

• Australian Curriculum: Mathematics

© Cambridge University Press 2021

Mathematics for the twenty-first century (cont.)

• Statistical literacy
• The ability to make sense of data; it is one’s ability to evaluate, understand and interpret data from a variety of sources.

• Financial literacy
• The ability to manage money and financial risks effectively and responsibly in order to achieve one’s financial goals.

• Numeracy
• The ability to count, measure, compare and sequence.

• Students need to develop competence in many everyday tasks, such as budgeting, shopping, travel and leisure
activities.
• Numeracy involves a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and skills from across the discipline, including
numerical, spatial, graphical, statistical and algebraic topics.

© Cambridge University Press 2021

Theories about how students learn mathematics
• Behaviourism
• Archetypal approach from the 1920 until the 1950s

• Behaviourists are concerned with actions that are observable and measurable through

empirical data.

• Gestaltism
• Named from a German word meaning ‘shape’ or ‘form’

• For gestaltists, learning was far more complex in nature and the sensory whole was always

viewed as other than just the sum of its sensory parts.

© Cambridge University Press 2021

Theories about how students learn mathematics (cont.)
• Constructivism
• Constructivism is the paradigm in psychology and learning sciences that overtook behaviourism in the 1960s during

the so-called Cognitive Revolution.

• Knowledge is not simply received by learners but rather that it is actively constructed by them.

• Socioculturalism
• Sociocultural theorists regard learning as intertwined with participation and engagement within social communities.

• Neuroscience
• Neuroscience involves the study of the brain and the nervous system using brain imaging techniques.

• Most commonly, this involves functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to detect changes in blood flow as a

measure of brain activity.

© Cambridge University Press 2021
Student engagement in learning mathematics

• Engagement refers to how actively a student is involved in their learning.

• Engagement is different to motivation.

• Many students are disengaging in the secondary mathematics classrooms.

• ‘Elephant in the classroom’ is a reference to the mistaken belief that

success in mathematics equates to general intelligence and that some
people can do mathematics while others cannot.

© Cambridge University Press 2021

Student engagement in learning mathematics (cont.)

• Dweck (2000) presents two different perspectives on ability and

intelligence:
1. Entity view regards intelligence as something which is fixed and stable.

2. Incremental view regards intelligence as malleable and people who view

intelligence in this way believe that they have some control to change their level
of intelligence or achievement.

• How would you promote engagement using the above perspectives?

Would one be preferable to the other?
Dweck, C.S. (2000). Self-theories: Their role in motivation, personality, and development. Philadelphia, PA: Psychology Press.
© Cambridge University Press 2021
Summary
This chapter has:

• discussed the importance of mathematics in modern society, including fundamental aspects of

mathematical literacy and numeracy

• summarised the key features of some important theories about student learning

• examined some recent advances in the field of neuroscience and their implications for

mathematics learning

• identified some ways in which teachers can promote student engagement in mathematics

lessons.
© Cambridge University Press 2021