Can programming support mathematics learning? An analysis of Swedish lower secondary textbooks

Abstract

In the wake of the present inclusion of programming in mathematics education, which is a feature of curricular revisions in many countries, we have analysed newly inserted programming activities in mathematics textbooks. The aim was to investigate how such activities relate to and potentially affect students’ opportunities to learn mathematics. Data consist of Swedish textbooks for grades 7–9 (ages 13–15) intended for mathematics classes, where all units labelled as or including programming activities were analysed. Concerning the relation between mathematics and programming, our results show that in the intricate balance between teaching mathematics on the one hand and teaching programming on the other hand, the textbooks seem to lean towards the latter, thus not greatly contributing with mathematical learning opportunities. We see a dominance of mathematics as a context for programming, rather than programming as a tool for learning mathematics. The lack of exploration and rare occurrence of novel mathematics in the programming activities implies a weak relationship between mathematics and programming.