Teachers' beliefs about the relevance of the mathematic curriculum given emerging societal crises and knowledge demands

Abstract

In an era inundated with statistical and mathematical information through various media channels, members of the public must grasp these concepts if they are to understand global developments like public health crises and climate change. In this study, we explored teachers' beliefs about the relevance of the curriculum in the context of the COVID pandemic and sought to identify, from their perspectives, the changes needed to improve its relevance. We had 56 teachers participate in an online survey, eight of whom were also interviewed later. Our findings revealed that participants believed the curriculum helped prepare learners to understand certain aspects of the pandemic-related information. However, they noted that the information was more complex than mere mathematical calculations might be, so required a careful coordination of appropriate mathematical and contextual relationships. Many teachers suggested changes focused on providing more opportunities for learners to engage with real-life applications of mathematics. There were variations in teachers' perspectives on curriculum content, with some emphasizing the importance of broader cognitive processes while others focused on specific topics. These differences were influenced by factors such as teaching experience, educational background, and teaching phase.