Learning from and Adapting the Theory of Realistic Mathematics education

Abstract

This article focuses on the critical role of design theory in our work as mathematics educators. We give particular attention to a specific design theory, Realistic Mathematics Education (RME). We first clarify the enduring contributions of RME to design in mathematics education and then discuss three adaptations that we made to RME theory while conducting a series of classroom design experiments. The first of these adaptations involves taking a broader perspective on the means of supporting students’ mathematical learning to include both the organization of classroom activities and the nature of classroom discourse. The second adaptation involves a change in orientation that acknowledges the mediating role of the teacher. The goal of instructional design then becomes to develop resources that teachers can use to achieve their instructional agendas rather than to support students’ learning directly. The third adaptation again centers on the teacher and concerns the potential contribution of designed instructional resources as a means of supporting teachers’ as well as students’ learning.