Abstract
Compared to neighbouring countries, in the Netherlands a nationwide introduction of calculus in secondary education took place rather late. This happened in 1958 after a discussion of fifty years between advocates of the teaching of calculus in school and their opponents. From the 1960s on, there has been an acceleration in curriculum changes. First the curriculum was influenced by the New Math movement. This resulted in a rather formal course that became compulsory for almost all students in pre-university secondary education. Many of them experienced serious problems with the acquisition of this topic. Then, in reaction to that, influenced by Realistic Mathematics Education, three calculus courses were developed that tried to build on a meaningful introduction, with applications incorporated, for secondary pre-university education and secondary pre-higher vocational education. Finally, calculus became relevant and within reach of all students of the higher levels in secondary education.
Highlights
Compared to neighbouring countries, in the Netherlands a nationwide introduction of calculus in secondary education took place rather late
One of the initiators was Hans Freudenthal who was the chairman of the conference. At this conference Van Hiele gave a lecture, titled “An Attempt to Frame Guidelines for Didactics of Mathematics”, in which he quoted a known author of textbooks for physics who had asserted that in Grade 10 the concept of limit, the derivative and the definite integral should be taught for the convenience of the physics teacher
In the introduction section of the report it was stated that in science education the mathematics component had arrived at an impasse, concerning differential and integral calculus
Summary
Some time ago I read about efforts to improve the teaching of analysis by raising standards of rigour. I believe that analysis at school can be improved only by relating it closer to reality. If more abstraction is not counterbalanced by a closer proximity to reality, it will only yield more unrelated and worthless stuff.
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