Currently there is a great deal of interest in philosophical issues in the teaching and learning of both mathematics and science education. In this book Ernest has collected together papers from the foremost researchers and practitioners in the philosophy of mathematics education and related areas, together with a selection of papers from the International Congress of Mathematics Education held in Quebec in 1992. Throughout, the outstanding feature of the collection is its multidisciplinary approach to the field of study. This book is the second in Paul Ernest's Studies in Mathematics...

Until the 1960s, maths was studied as an academic subject in a desire to have more mathematicians. The current trend, however, has moved away from viewing maths as a purely intellectual endeavour and towards developing a more mathematically competent workforce and citizenry. This trend has seen a large increase in the number of maths schemes being produced by the major educational publishers, which attempt to make maths easier and more approachable by using language instead of symbols.

Until the 1960s, maths was studied as an academic subject in a desire to have more mathematicians. The current trend, however, has moved away from viewing maths as a purely intellectual endeavour and towards developing a more mathematically competent workforce and citizenry. This trend has seen a large increase in the number of maths schemes being produced by the major educational publishers, which attempt to make maths easier and more approachable by using language instead of symbols.

The question about girls' attainment in mathematics is met with every kind of myth, false evidence, and theorizing about the gendered body and the genedered mind. The Girls and Mathematics Unit led by Valerie Walkerdine has, over a period of ten years, carried out a detailed theoretical and empirical investigation in this area. Based on research, the book tackles issues and truisms, such as - women are irrational, illogical and to close too their emotions to be any good at mathematics and examines and puts into perspective these and other claims that have been made about women's minds. It...

The question about girls' attainment in mathematics is met with every kind of myth, false evidence, and theorizing about the gendered body and the genedered mind. The Girls and Mathematics Unit led by Valerie Walkerdine has, over a period of ten years, carried out a detailed theoretical and empirical investigation in this area. Based on research, the book tackles issues and truisms, such as women are irrational, illogical and to close too their emotions to be any good at mathematics and examines and puts into perspective these and other claims that have been made about women's minds. It...

How and why is mathematics taught? These can be problematic questions. This book seeks to improve on our modern answers, finding better and more truthful explanations that are supported by evidence.

Although many agree that all teaching rests on a theory of knowledge, there has been no in-depth exploration of the implications of the philosophy of mathematics for education. This is Paul Ernest's aim. Building on the work of Lakatos and Wittgenstein it challenges the prevalent notion that mathematical knowledge is certain, absolute and neutral, and offers instead an account of mathematics as a social construction. This has profound educational implications for social issues, including gender, race and multiculturalism; for pedagogy, including investigations and problem solving; and...