This article relates to a project aimed at acting on the image of mathematics held by students through the use of the history of mathematics. We report on an experiment in which students of secondary school (aged 14-18) were presented with pictures taken from ancient documents. In these pictures there were (direct or indirect) references to mathematics. We asked to students to interpret what was happening in the pictures and, in particular, to focus on the mathematical aspects. The results of this activity were narratives in which students produced conjectures suitable to construct a story based on the pictures. The main educational implications of the work here presented is the possibility of fostering students’ perception of mathematics as a science operating inside the socio-cultural context, to wide their image of mathematics, and to stress the links with other school disciplines.
History, figures, and narratives in mathematics teaching .
FURINGHETTI, FULVIA
2011-01-01
Abstract
This article relates to a project aimed at acting on the image of mathematics held by students through the use of the history of mathematics. We report on an experiment in which students of secondary school (aged 14-18) were presented with pictures taken from ancient documents. In these pictures there were (direct or indirect) references to mathematics. We asked to students to interpret what was happening in the pictures and, in particular, to focus on the mathematical aspects. The results of this activity were narratives in which students produced conjectures suitable to construct a story based on the pictures. The main educational implications of the work here presented is the possibility of fostering students’ perception of mathematics as a science operating inside the socio-cultural context, to wide their image of mathematics, and to stress the links with other school disciplines.
I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
