Secondary Algebra Education: Revisiting Topics and Themes and Exploring the Unknown

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-vii

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2. Algebra Education: Exploring Topics and Themes

   • Paul Drijvers, Aad Goddijn, Martin Kindt

   Pages 5-26

3. Algebra from Ahmes to Applet

   • Aad Goddijn

   Pages 27-68

4. From Arithmetic to Algebra

   • Truus Dekker, Maarten Dolk

   Pages 69-87

5. Patterns and Formulas

   • Paul Drijvers, Truus Dekker, Monica Wijers

   Pages 89-100

6. Restrictions in Algebra

   • David Webb, Mieke Abels

   Pages 101-118

7. Algebra in Function

   • Michiel Doorman, Paul Drijvers

   Pages 119-135

8. Principles of Practice

   • Martin Kindt

   Pages 137-178

9. Algebra and Technology

   • Paul Drijvers, Peter Boon, Martin Van Reeuwijk

   Pages 179-202

10. Algebra in Science and Engineering

    • Henk van der Kooij, Aad Goddijn

    Pages 203-226

11. Back Matter

    Pages 227-229

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Nowadays, algebra education is subject to worldwide scrutiny. Different opinions on its goals, approaches and achievements are at the heart of debates among teachers, educators, researchers and decision makers. What should the teaching of algebra in secondary school mathematics look like? Should it focus on procedural skills or on algebraic insight? Should it stress practice or integrate technology? Do we require formal proofs and notations, or do informal representations suffice? Is algebra in school an abstract subject, or does it take its relevance from application in (daily life) contexts? What should secondary school algebra education that prepares for higher education and professional practice in the twenty-first century look like? This book addresses these questions, and aims to inform in-service and future teachers, mathematics educators and researchers on recent insights in the domain, and on specific topics and themes such as the historical development of algebra, the role of productive practice, and algebra in science and engineering in particular. The authors, all affiliated with the Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education in the Netherlands, share a common philosophy, which acts as a ? sometimes nearly invisible ? backbone for the overall view on algebra education: the theory of realistic mathematics education. From this point of departure, different perspectives are chosen to describe the opportunities and pitfalls of today’s and tomorrow’s algebra education. Inspiring examples and reflections illustrate current practice and explore the unknown future of algebra education to appropriately meet students’ needs.

• Abstract
• Freud
• algebra
• arithmetic
• education
• higher education
• mathematics
• philosophy
• research
• school
• science
• service
• stress
• teaching
• technology

• Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands

  Paul Drijvers

Policies and ethics