ABSTRACT
It is generally accepted that history of mathematics originated as a part of professionalization of mathematics as a profession. History itself is commonly called the teacher of life (magistra vitae). Connecting both, we may likewise appreciate the value of learning about history of mathematics education for future mathematics teachers. Students may learn from history of teaching mathematics, both in classes (through lectures and seminars), but also when preparing their final theses. In my talk, I will describe three diverse topics, exemplified by three theses on the history of mathematics education that were recently defended at the Masaryk University in Brno.
On the most general level, students may analyze changing views on mathematics education. Journals for mathematics teachers are a good source for this kind of work. Compared to archival documents, they are more easily accessible. While reading the articles from a different period, the student reflected on what they have been told about the aims of mathematics education and juxtaposed the historical ideas and reasonings with the current ones. In this case, the student analyzed the ideas on mathematics education arising in connection with the 1948 coup d’état and was able to show why new concepts (testing students in front of the whole class, group work, polytechnic education, etc.) were considered important.
On a more concrete level, students may analyze specific perspectives and hypes in mathematics education and may thus develop a more balanced approach to any new fashion. One such fashionable trend was programmed instruction, culminating in the 1960s. While it was considered revolutionary by the psychologists, mathematicians were more conservative in their approach, slow in adopting the method and abandoning it within a decade. Studying such a topic also involves studying the influence of the general trends in education on mathematics teaching and studying how the abstract ideas are translated into classroom practice. Again, the material for analysis is easily accessible, as textbooks were printed in large numbers and multiple copies may be found.
Finally, it is equally rewarding to study how the teaching of a particular branch of mathematics developed over the years. Again, old mathematics textbooks provide an easily accessible source, while their content is often revealing, when attention is paid to one specific topic. The last student chose to study how solving word problems with the aid of linear equations changed over four decades. While majority of the work done by the student was rather descriptive, greater conclusions may be drawn on the basis of the thesis.
Finally, I will touch the topic of guiding future mathematics teachers in writing, what is essentially a piece of historical writing. Since future mathematics teachers rarely have a training in history, the process of writing a history thesis is specific and often depends on their other subject. All the topics mentioned above were chosen by students who were preparing to become teachers of mathematics and a humanities subject: a foreign language or civics, which doesn’t seem to be a coincidence.