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Why do we teach what we teach in schools?

Why do we teach what we teach in schools?. Lee Peng Yee 25-11-2008 Singapore. What is the area of a circle?. A = π r² A = ( π /4)d² d = diameter A = ½ cr c = circumference Why do we teach the poorest formula among the three?.

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Why do we teach what we teach in schools?

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  1. Why do we teach what we teach in schools? Lee Peng Yee 25-11-2008 Singapore

  2. What is the area of a circle? • A = πr² • A = (π/4)d² d = diameter • A = ½ cr c = circumference Why do we teach the poorest formula among the three?

  3. What happened in the past led to what school mathematics is today

  4. 10 story lines • Spherical and other geometries spelled the fall of Euclidean geometry. • Cartesian coordinates served as a bridge for the migration to take place from geometry to algebra. • David Hilbert saved and killed Euclidean geometry.

  5. 10 story lines (cont’d) • Algebra came from the Arab world and in time dominated school mathematics. • In the years 1600 to 2000 geometry turned algebraic and algebra went structural and numerical. • Chinese learn mathematics differently and they learn how before they learn why.

  6. We must also look into the future to learn what we should do today

  7. 10 story lines (cont’d) • The fourth milestone in mathematics education after Euclidean geometry, calculus, pure mathematics is computation. • The marriage of geometry and calculus gave birth to differential geometry.

  8. 10 story lines (cont’d) • Mathematical models are no longer restricted to physical sciences. • Mathematical tools go from exact to approximate and further to stochastic.

  9. Why we teach what we teach • Rich in content and rich in examination questions • For computation and for rigour • For assessment though not assessment alone • For knowledge and for the use of knowledge

  10. Why we teach… (cont’d) • What we can relate to • Statistics is a misfit • Certain concepts must be taught early • For workplace

  11. Without knowing why, we shall not be able to design a good syllabus.

  12. END pengyee.lee@nie.edu.sg

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