Effects of a college instructor's first engagement with reform-based mathematics on her subject conceptions and conceptions of mathematics education.
Published: 2005
Language: eng
Number of pages: 173
Description: A case study of a college instructor's first engagement with reform-based approaches to teaching mathematics was the focus of this study. The researcher and study's participant co-taught a fractions unit in a community college setting using a reform-based approach. The researcher introduced the participant to reform-based methods of teaching mathematics, and served as a mentor as this manner of teaching was implemented in the participant's classroom. The participant's conceptions of mathematics were examined prior to, and upon completion of the study. Though no major changes occurred in the participant's conceptions of mathematics, minor changes were demonstrated, such as the participant's realizations of concrete and conceptual mathematical understandings. Further, differences in the researcher and participant's conceptions of mathematics accounted for differences in how each perceived the taught unit. The researcher, who has fallibilist conceptions of mathematics, perceived the unit to be more successful than the participant who exhibited more absolutist conceptions.
Notes: Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

Electronic version licensed for access by U. of T. users.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 44-01, page: 0060.

MICR copy on microfiche.