EDGS 646 Index

Aims of EDGS 646

1. To challenge those taking the subject to teach mathematics in ways which enable children to learn skills through the processes of problem posing and problem solving.

2. To provide philosophical, historical, psychological, sociological, and mathematical bases for the idea that life-relevant mathematical skills are best acquired through the processes of problem posing and problem solving.

3. To invite EDGS 646 students to reflect upon their personal teaching practices and, through action research methods, modify these so that they increasingly adopt problem-posing and problem-solving approaches in their teaching of mathematics.

4. To enable each EDGS 646 student to examine, critically, all aspects of the mathematics programs in a given school, so that he/she will, by working cooperatively with colleagues, redefine these programs in such a way that mathematics will be taught, and learnt, through problem-posing and problem-solving approaches.

5. To involve EDGS students actively in mathematical problem posing and problem solving so that they will feel confident and competent when confronted with mathematical problems.

Certainly the above aims are rather idealistic. To achieve the second aim by itself might take several years (indeed a lifetime)! However, this is the first year this subject has been offered at the University of Newcastle, and so 1996 students will set the standard for future years. After reflecting on student reactions to the subject, we intend to modify the aims of the subject for future years. Please feel free to rcommunicate to the lecturer-in-charge, at any time, comments on your perceptions of the subject and its aims.

EDGS 646 Index