Dr. Gonzalez will present the Saturday Plenary Session, “Empowering Teachers to Construct Problems for their Students,” for the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education conference.
The Realistic Mathematics Education theory establishes that problem contexts provide an entry point for mathematical understanding. Problems that are situated in relevant contexts can also support the development of students’ mathematical identity. At the same time, problems that are situated in contexts that appear to be too contrived may limit students’ opportunities to engage in mathematics and to develop their mathematical identity. In our dialogue, we will argue for opportunities for empowering teachers to design mathematics problems for and with their students. Teachers can identify relevant, authentic contexts for meaningful mathematics learning. We will provide examples from our own work regarding children’s mathematical knowledge bases, using students’ prior knowledge, social justice mathematics, and engaging students in problems situated in visual arts contexts as well as discuss the challenges and tensions in this work. We will discuss implications for mathematics teacher education, such as considerations about teachers’ mathematical and pedagogical knowledge, as well as teachers’ knowledge of their students and their school contexts, when embracing this approach.
For more information view the conference website.
