The University of Montana
Department of Mathematical Sciences
Technical report #1/2012
Theories in Mathematics Education: some developments and ways forward
Bharath Sriraman
The University of Montana
Elena Nardi
University of East Anglia
Abstract
In this survey of the state of the art, roots of mathematics education are traced from Piaget onto the current work on theorizing which utilize sociological and commognitive frameworks. Attention is given to the critiques of “Theories of Mathematics Education” (Sriraman & English, 2010), and productive discussions from the reviews are unpacked. The notions of “operational” versus “functional”, and “models” versus “theories” are also tackled by focusing on conceptual frameworks that harmonize the terms as opposed to exemplify their polarities.
Keywords: Models of Mathematics Education; Theories; Stage theories; Discursive frameworks;
Philosophy of Knowledge; Structuralism; Conceptual Frameworks in Mathematics Education;
Local theories versus Global theories; Operational definitions
AMS Subject Classification: 97