Values In Mathematics Education Research Articles

Book Review: Applying values in mathematics education. Yüksel Dede, Gosia Marschall, and Philip Clarkson (Eds.) (2024) Values and valuing in mathematics education: moving forward into practice

Book Review: Applying values in mathematics education. Yüksel Dede, Gosia Marschall, and Philip Clarkson (Eds.) (2024) Values and valuing in mathematics education: moving forward into practice

Exploring values implicit in Ghanaian Senior High School mathematics textbooks

Values are pivotal in mathematics education. Coming to grips with values in mathematics as a means of understanding them well enough to enculturate children in the subject has been highlighted in the literature. Valuing in mathematics has been positioned as the key driver of both the content of the mathematics curriculum and its teaching. This study explored values implicit in Ghanaian Senior High School mathematics textbooks. A sample of four best-selling Ghanaian Senior High School Form 1 Core Mathematics textbooks were purposely selected for this study. Using a checklist, the study explored mathematical values and mathematics educational values implicit in these textbooks. Findings from the study revealed that mathematical values of Objectism, Progress and Openness were emphasized more in the textbooks, while mathematics educational values namely Formalist View, Theoretical Knowledge, Instrumental learning, Accessibility and Evaluation were also emphasized more. How these values were conveyed is presented and the implications of the results of the study for policy and practice are also discussed, especially the need to use an array of mathematics books rather than only one to teach students in order to expose them to the values they need to become life-long learners in mathematics.

Exploring the impact of distance teaching on mathematics educational values in Hong Kong: a study of in-service teachers’ perspectives

Exploring the impact of distance teaching on mathematics educational values in Hong Kong: a study of in-service teachers’ perspectives

Conveying different types of values via mathematical tasks

The purpose of this paper is to analyse possibilities of including and conveying a variety of values in teaching mathematics through tasks in terms of their openness. In the first part of the introduction we present the theoretical ideas about values in mathematics education by Bishop and Lim & Ernest. The second part of introduction sets out the reasons why an emphasis on values seems advisable. Mathematics is not commonly associated with a variety of values. However, for mathematical education an orientation towards societal demands appear relevant. Scholars like Skovsmose and Fischer alike demanded the development of a reflecting ability. Some national state curricula depict some of the societal demands by calling for an orientation towards general values for all school subjects, but in this we see discrepancies to practiced teaching. The section “Tasks and Values” relates to justifying why tasks appear to be a useful means of influencing mathematics education. Several scholars have already investigated the possibilities of different task-types for teaching values. Here we connect this purpose to tasks characterized by their varying openness. As teachers are essential to unfold the potential of tasks, the present analysis is intendent to give them concrete ideas for mediating values in mathematics classes. In the main part we analyse traditional tasks from ancient textbooks, with experiences in Armenian classes, as well as an open task with experiences of Austrian students in partner work. The discussed tasks provide opportunities for mathematical values like control, openness and for epistemological values as well as for more general values like self-confidence, mutual respect, justice and mathematics educational values like accuracy and consistency. In conclusion, the encouragement towards discussions among and with the students during the solving process of the task appears to be essential. Our experiences show that students mainly react positively towards such discussing activities. This could be a motivation for teachers to take up this issue besides of idealistic reasons.

Comparing Malaysian secondary school teachers’ and students’ values in mathematics learning: a mixed method study

Teachers’ and students’ values influenced the teaching and learning process in the mathematics classroom. Few studies were conducted to compare teachers’ and students’ value in mathematics learning. This paper explores Malaysian mathematics teachers’ and students’ values in mathematics learning. Fifty-three mathematics teachers and 354 secondary school students participated in the online survey. This study reports ten semantic differential items and an open-ended question related to mathematics learning. An independent t-test was conducted on the semantic differential items. Thematic coding analysis was performed to code the open-ended questions based on the framework of three intersecting values: mathematical values (the discipline), mathematics educational values (the pedagogy), and general educational values (the ethical and moral principles). The findings showed significant mean differences in mathematics educational values between teachers and students. No significant difference was found in mathematical values between teachers and students. Moreover, the qualitative data confirmed the similarities in mathematical values and differences in mathematics educational values between teachers and students. The current study also discusses possible reasons for the differences in teachers’ and students’ values. The findings imply that teachers’ and students’ values are crucial in enhancing teaching and learning in the mathematics classroom.

Mathematics educational values of students and teachers in Imam-Hatip high schools

The study focused on the similarities and differences students and mathematics teachers have regarding values in mathematics classrooms in the same school culture. The study aimed to determine students’ and mathematics teachers’ values at Imam-Hatip high schools, a type of vocational school in Turkey. The study was carried out with students (n = 2,912) and mathematics teachers (n = 861) from Imam-Hatip high schools in seven regions of Turkey who voluntarily responded to the online data collection tools. The collected data were analysed using a latent profile analysis. As a result, students and mathematics teachers were divided into three latent profiles; however, these profiles differed according to value components. Some of the study’s key results revealed practice as the essential value component. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) was the least for all teachers’ and students’ profiles, with relevance being the second least important value.

Values in preservice mathematics teachers’ discussions of the Body Mass Index - A critical perspective

This article explores the values that come to the fore when preservice mathematics teachers (PTs) 11In the remaining parts of the text, we will refer to preservice teachers as PTs. engage in critical discussions about the role of mathematical models in society. The specific model that was discussed was the Body Mass Index (BMI) 22From now on, the Body Mass Index will be referred to as BMI and is calculated as mass (m) divided by the square of height (h).. From the analysis of the PTs’ discussions of the BMI from a mathematical and societal point of view several mathematical and mathematics educational values were identified such as openness, rationalism, progress, reasoning, evaluating, and problematizing the instrumental understanding of mathematics. In addition, critical thinking about mathematics in society as emphasized in curricula in the three countries involved in the study, was identified with four categories of complementary pairs. Knowing the mathematical and mathematics educational values underpinning PTs’ discussions and their connection to critical thinking is important for successfully engaging with the role of mathematics in society.

Identifying students’ mathematical and mathematics educational values in Turkish culture: a cross-sectional study (Identificación de los valores matemáticos y de la didáctica matemática de los estudiantes en la cultura turca: un estudio transversal)

ABSTRACT This cross-sectional study investigates mathematical and mathematics educational values of students across grade levels in Turkey. The sample of the study consisted of 970 students, including 511 fifth-grade and 459 ninth-grade students who received education in seven geographical regions of Turkey which were determined via a proportional stratified random sampling method. The data of the study were obtained with a bipolar scale developed within the scope of the What I Find Important [WIFI] (in maths learning) project. The results revealed a statistically significant difference in the value pairs of process–product, pleasure–hardship, application–computation, facts–ideas, exposition–exploration, recalling–creating, rationalism–objectism, whereas results revealed no statistically significant difference in terms of value pairs of ability–effort, openness–mystery and control–progress. Additionally, it was determined that at the end of middle school, the pleasure–hardship value pair evolved into hardship value, the application–computation value pair evolved into computation value and finally the exposition–exploration value pair evolved into exposition value.

Values of Mathematics Education In Turkish High School Mathematics Textbooks

The purpose of this study is to examine how mathematics education values are included in Turkish high school mathematics textbooks. Mathematics education values describe the learning and teaching processes of mathematics. Mathematics education values are considered as five complementary pairs: formalistic view-activist view, operational understanding-relational understanding, relevance-theoretical knowledge, accessibility-special, and evaluating-reasoning. Document analysis method was used in the research. The sample of the study was determined examples in the mathematics textbooks used in high schools in the 2019-2020 academic year. A total of 2175 questions were examined within the scope of the research. Content analysis was used in the analysis of qualitative data, and the obtained data were classified as mathematical value pairs. Accordingly, it was found that values of formalistic view, theoretical knowledge, operational understanding, evaluating, and accessibility were emphasized more than complementary values in the studied books. Accordingly, considering the importance of mathematics education values for mathematics textbooks, it may be advisable to pay attention to the balanced distribution of these complementary value pairs in textbooks.

Students’ mathematics educational values at religious vocational middle schools: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT The purpose of this cross-sectional study (n = 43764 in four cohorts/groups) is to uncover the values when learning mathematics that students at Religious Vocational Middle Schools (in Turkish: Imam-Hatip Middle Schools) where religious contexts and contents are taught intensively in Turkey. In this regard, the study investigates the mathematics educational values of students in Grades 5 through 8 at Imam-Hatip Middle Schools using a standardised questionnaire. MANOVA and post-hoc analyses have been performed to determine group differences. The results indicate the importance students give to the values of relevance, learning approach, consolidating, and practice to decrease as grade level increases; each grade of students emphasised the value of practice the most and the value of information and communications technology (ICT) the least. In this sense, it can be said that there is no clear connection between cultural context and mathematics educational values (for example, the order of importance given to practice and ICT values) in a school where religious content and context are intense when compared with value studies in different school cultures.

Values Conveyed through Distance Education in Geometry Courses during COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries have had to change their usual teaching environment, and processes (especially traditional face to face education) with distance education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the Grade 9 mathematics course contents shared on the EBA platform in terms of mathematics values (mathematical values and mathematics educational values). In this sense, this study was a qualitative research based on document review. Data were collected from the Grade 9 mathematics course contents that exist in the EBA affiliated to the Turkish Ministry of National Education and were analysed using semantic content analysis. The results showed that the mathematical values such as objectivism, openness, rationalism, and the mathematics educational values such as formalistic view of mathematics learning, inquiry, instrumental understanding, facts & theories are often emphasized in distance education mathematics courses. The results of the study were also compared in detail with the results of the face-to-face mathematics education studies in the relevant literature (especially in the context of Turkey) and in this context some suggestions were also made for further studies.

EKSPLORASI NILAI-NILAI PENDIDIKAN MATEMATIKA BERBASIS AYAT AL-QUR’AN DI SEKOLAH MENENGAH ATAS

Al-Qur'an verses can be used as a source of mathematics learning that contains the values of mathematics education, because, it can improve students' reasoning, application, mathematical skills, and student's personality. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to describe the results of the exploration of the values of mathematics education based on the verses of the Al-Qur'an, especially for the tenth grade of senior high school. The research method used is descriptive qualitative method with the form of research is library research. The research subjects were the Al-Qur'an verses and the mathematics function for tenth grade senior high school. The results showed that the values of mathematics education based on the verses of the Qur'an with mathematics functions for tenth grade students are found in surah Al Baqarah verse 184. From these verses, exploration of the values of mathematics education has been integrated with the core competencies of the curriculum 2013, so it is divided into two, formal values that contain spiritual and social aspects, and material values that contain knowledge and application aspects. Keyword: Al-Qur'an verses, The values of mathematics education

Exploring Issues About Values in Mathematics Education

Keywords Educational values, mathematics education research, mathematics teaching and learning, values and valuing in mathematics education

Values in the geometry and measurement unit of the Palestinian Grade six mathematics book

ABSTRACT School textbooks affect the different aspects of students’ learning. One way that textbooks can affect students’ learning is through the values embedded in the texts. In the present research, we intend to study values in elementary school mathematics textbook. Specifically, we study values in the Geometry and Measurement unit of the Palestinian Grade six mathematics book. This unit is comprised of five lessons. To analyse the unit, we use a classification model suggested by Sam and Ernest. In this model, Sam and Ernest consider values in mathematics education as consisting of three categories: epistemological, social and personal values. Analysing the unit, we found that the epistemological component was the most frequent in the unit, while the second was the personal component and the third was the social. Alertness in thought, discriminating and rationality had the highest percentages as epistemological values, importance had the highest percentage as a social value and open-mindedness had the highest percentage as a personal value. Correlations between pairs of values in each component showed two significant strong positive correlations, while the other significant correlations were relatively strong or moderate. Further research needs to study correlations between pairs of values, and how these pairs affect students’ learning.

MATEMATİK EĞİTİMİNDE ÖNE ÇIKAN GÜNCEL DEĞERLER

Bu çalışmanın amacı matematik eğitiminde 21. yüzyıl değerlerini detaylı bir bakış açısı ile sunmaktır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda ulusal ve uluslararası veri tabanları “matematik öğrenme alanında değerler” kavramı ile ilgili anahtar kelimeler kullanılarak 21. yüzyıl itibariyle yapılan tüm çalışmalar taranmıştır. İlgili alanyazın dokuman analizi yöntemi ile taranmıştır. Tarama neticesinde matematik eğitiminde değerler ile ilgili 55 çalışmaya ulaşılmıştır. Araştırma kapsamına dâhil edilen bilimsel çalışmalar, yayınlanma yılı ve araştırma grubu başlıkları altında kategorize edilmiştir. Ayrıca tarama sonucunda ulaşılan araştırmalar içerik anlamında detaylı bir şekilde analiz edilerek matematik eğitiminde tespit edilen değerler, öne çıkan bulgular ve öneriler belirlenmiş, okuyucuya sunulmuştur. Matematik eğitiminde değerler kavramı ile ilgili bilimsel çalışmaların son dokuz yılda artış gösterdiği ve önem kazandığı görülmüş, matematik eğitiminde seksen yedi değer tespit edilmiştir. Bilimsel çalışmalarda dayanışma, işbirliği, grup çalışması, yardımseverlik, akılcılık, rasyonalizm, nesnel anlama, sorumluluk, açıklık ve saygı değerlerinin ön plana çıktığı elde edilen bir diğer sonuçtur. Çalışmada elde edilen bulgular çerçevesinde matematik öğrenme alanına ilişkin değerler ile ilgili birtakım önerilerde bulunulmuştur.

An Intersection of Mathematics Educational Values and Cultural Values: Pāsifika Students’ Understanding and Explanation of Their Mathematics Educational Values

Purpose: This article investigates the mathematics educational values of Pāsifika students in New Zealand. It draws on student voice to examine Pāsifika students’ understanding of mathematics educational values and their reasons for rating values at different levels of importance. Design/Approach/Methods: The study involved Years 7 and 8 Pāsifika students from two low-socioeconomic middle schools. Students selected their most and least important mathematics educational value statements on a survey. Semi-structured individual interviews were used to investigate their reasons for selecting the values. Findings: The mathematics educational values ranked highly by the greatest percentage of students were practice, family, respect, and persistence. In contrast, the values of accuracy and utility were rated as least important. Student interview data revealed commonalities in accounting for the importance of different values. The findings indicate an intersection between the mathematics educational values and cultural values of Pāsifika people. Originality/Value: There have been few studies that have explored the mathematics educational values of Pāsifika students. The current study provides insight into why specific values are important to Pāsifika students and how these may influence classroom interactions. The use of student interview data widens the existing literature focused on values in mathematics education.

Excellent Mathematical Performance Despite “Negative” Affect of Students in Korea: The Values Perspective

Purpose: Given the unclear relationship between cognition and affect, this article reports on a study exploring how the conative variable of values may provide some explanation for students with excellent performance despite a negative attitude toward mathematics. Design/Approach/Methods: The study reported in this article represents Korea's participation in the international “What I Find Important (in my mathematics learning)” [WIFI] study, which assesses the attributes of mathematics learning and teaching that are valued by students. The participants of this study were 816 Korean students who responded to the WIFI questionnaire. Findings: The results of principal component analysis indicated that the following five attributes about mathematics and mathematics pedagogy were valued by Korean students: understanding, connections, fun, accuracy, and efficiency. These attributes were further analyzed with relation to student gender, school system, and student confidence. Originality/Value: Korean students’ valuing of understanding and connections is noteworthy. It is hoped that the findings of this study might explain Korean students’ exceptional performance despite a generally low affective mode, and extending this further, how values in mathematics education might be a useful construct to help us make sense of the observed mismatch globally between high performance and low affect.

Impact of Problem-based Learning Strategy on Students' Mathematical Value among Secondary School Students

This study examined the effectiveness of implementing a problem-based learning (PBL) strategy on the mathematical values of the mathematics secondary school. A quasi-experimental nonrandomized control group post-test design was conducted, which consisted of 62 students in two intact groups. 35 students were placed in the experimental group, while 27 students in the control group participated in this study. Students in the experimental group received the PBL instruction strategy, while the control group learned mathematics using conventional instructional in a classroom for eight weeks. Students' mathematical values were measured using a set of rubrics consisting of nine mathematics educational values. The results of this study showed the students from the PBL strategy group demonstrated significantly higher scores than the conventional instruction strategy group in the overall mathematical values and the subscales of accuracy, conjecturing, consistency, creativity, effective organization, efficient working/ strategies, flexibility, persistence, and systematic working. Therefore, it is recommended that the use of the PBL strategy would help students to understand mathematical values better compared to conventional instruction.

İlkokul Matematik Ders Kitaplarında Sosyal Değerler

Bu çalışmanın amacı; ilkokul matematik ders kitaplarında sınıf düzeyi, öğrenme alanı ve yayınevi türüne göre sosyal değerlere nasıl yer verildiğini incelemektir. Çalışmanın amacı doğrultusunda nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden biri olan açıklayıcı-tanımlayıcı durum çalışması kullanılmıştır. Veri toplamanın ilk kısmında; Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı’nın öğretmenlere elektronik doküman sağlayan, www.eba.gov.tr sitesinde yer verilen matematik ders kitapları incelenmiştir. Ders kitaplarında yer alan sosyal değerlerin analiz edilmesinde nitel veri analiz tekniklerinden betimsel analiz tekniği kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada kullanılacak sosyal değerlerin belirlenmesi için literatürde yer alan sosyal değerlere ait sınıflandırmalardan bir çatı oluşturulmuştur. Bu araştırmanın çatısı; sevgi, saygı, sorumluluk, yardımlaşma, hoşgörü, iyilikseverlik, evrenselcilik ve nezaket sosyal değerlerinden oluşmaktadır. Veri toplamanın ikinci kısmında sınıf öğretmenlerinin matematik eğitiminde sosyal değerlere ilişkin görüşlerini almak için yarı-yapılandırılmış görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Öğretmenlerle gerçekleştirilen görüşmelerden elde edilen veriler ise içerik analiz tekniği ile analiz edilmiştir. Araştırmanın sonucunda en az sosyal değere birinci sınıf düzeyinde rastlanırken, diğer üç sınıf düzeyinde ise sosyal değerlerin benzer bir şekilde dağıldığı görülmüştür. Ders kitaplarında en fazla sevgi değerine, en az ise hoşgörü değerine yer verildiği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Ayrıca en fazla sosyal değere “Sayılar ve İşlemler” öğrenme alanında yer verildiği görülmüştür. Sınıf öğretmenleri ise sosyal değerlere matematik kitaplarında yeterince yer verilmediğini ifade etmişlerdir.

Mathematical, Mathematics Educational, and Educational Values in Mathematical Modeling Tasks

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the mathematical values, mathematics educational values, and educational values involved in mathematical modeling tasks based on different mathematical modeling perspectives. Design/Approach/Methods: In this context, the present study is a qualitative research based on document analysis. The data were analyzed using semantic content analysis, and the selected modeling tasks based on different mathematical modeling perspectives were examined at the sentence level. Findings: Control, mystery, and openness mathematical values appeared in all mathematical modeling tasks, and rationalism and objectivism mathematical values appeared in realistic/applied and socio-critical modeling perspectives. Product, exploration, creating, relevance, pleasure, and application mathematics educational values also emerged in all modeling tasks. Educational values of social justice, equity, social welfare, humanity, and altruism were more important in the socio-critical modeling, while the value of individualism was more emphasized in the model-eliciting approach. Originality/Value: By determining mathematical, mathematics educational, and educational values involved in mathematical modeling tasks based on different mathematical modeling perspectives, an effective and more value-balanced mathematical modeling instruction can be provided.