Abstract
The school mathematics curriculum development process in Nepal is still conventional. Contextualized mathematics teaching and learning has not been the priority of school education of Nepal. Majority of the school mathematics teachers in Nepal still conceptualize the mathematics and mathematics curriculum from the conformist approach. Thus, this paper aims to explore mathematics teachers’ experiences on the nature of mathematics focusing on their curricular and pedagogical practices based on the research question how mathematics teachers experience the nature of mathematical knowledge during their curricular and pedagogical practices. Ernest’s and Luitel’s nature of mathematical knowledge has enabled me to evaluate teachers’ experiences towards the nature of mathematical knowledge and Habermas’s theory of knowledge constitutive interest has guided the research for knowledge and implied others’ concept. The study has relied on the phenomenological approach and reflected the experiences of four mathematics teachers. The paper concludes that mathematics curriculum guided by emancipatory interest as well as practical interest promotes counter-hegemonic vision of teaching and learning mathematics and might develop critical consciousness. Critical consciousness embedded mathematics curriculum helps students and teachers to unpack the cultural nature of mathematics education and taken-for-granted assumptions about teaching and learning through critical pedagogy.
Highlights
The term curriculum in general and mathematics curriculum in particular, is commonly used in school education
Some of the experiences are rooted in the absolutist nature of mathematics with pure and fixed mathematical content and others are rooted in the fallibilist nature of mathematics, which is likely to be similar to the im/pure nature of mathematical knowledge
School curriculum needs to incorporate the value of their cultural practices, experiences as well as prior knowledge based on classroom activities
Summary
The term curriculum in general and mathematics curriculum in particular, is commonly used in school education. Curriculum is taken as one of the most important resources of teaching and learning activities It provides certain guidelines and layout of contents and pedagogical implications to students and teachers. The school curriculum communicates what we choose to remember about our past, what we believe about the present, and what we hope for the future (Pinar, 2004). In this context, mathematics curriculum needs to give a space for students to reflect on their own past experiences, present practices, and create future goals. It must incorporate cultural artefacts, local as well as global practices of mathematics, real life problems, and needs to give opportunities to reflect on their own practices
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