Inquiry in mathematics: studying a professional development measure for university lecturers

Abstract

This paper reflects on the Inquiry-Based Mathematics Education approach and the professional development of university mathematics lecturers. The main focus is on task re-design as a key aspect of subject matter focussed lecturer training. The professionalisation activity we have established is rooted in a framework developed by the European project Partnership for the Learning And Teaching IN University Mathematics (PLATINUM). The focus of this paper is a didactic instrument developed within this project and implemented in the training activity. We focus on challenges, leeways and scope for actions that arise in the design and implementation of mathematical tasks for an inquiry-based teaching. For the empirical analyses, we use data from a professional activity carried out at the Complutense University of Madrid in Spain, jointly by a team from Madrid and Hannover.