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Public Perceptions of the Basic Skills Crisis

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Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The “Canadian Math Wars” have been in full force since release of the 2012 PISA results. Using phenomenography, we investigated public perceptions of the (not) new mathematics as expressed in responses to media coverage. Our results highlight the multiplicity of the public’s perception of goals for an ideal school mathematics. We use the category of “Mastering Basic Computational Skills” to illuminate five dimensions informing this idealized goal: learning process, result of learning, order of learning, learning tasks, and the nature of mathematics. Our findings allow us to lay aside the rhetoric of oppositional stances to establish future avenues of communication.

Résumé

Les « guerres des maths » battent leur plein au Canada depuis la parution des résultats du programme PISA 2012. Par le biais de la phénoménographie, nous nous sommes penchées sur la perception publique des mathématiques (non) nouvelles, telle qu’exprimée dans les réactions à la couverture médiatique. Nos résultats soulignent les multiples facettes de la perception publique des objectifs d’un programme idéal de mathématiques à l’école. Nous utilisons la catégorie « maîtrise des compétences fondamentales en calcul » pour éclairer cinq aspects de ces objectifs idéalisés: le processus d’apprentissage, les résultats de l’apprentissage, les séquences d’apprentissage, les tâches d’apprentissage et la nature même des mathématiques. Nos résultats permettent de renoncer à la rhétorique de confrontation pour établir de futures avenues de communication.

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Funding

The authors received financial support from an Insight Development Grant through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Elementary Education, University of Alberta, 551 Education South, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G5, Canada

    P. Janelle McFeetors

  2. University of Alberta, 845 Education South, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G5, Canada

    Lynn M. McGarvey

Authors
  1. P. Janelle McFeetors
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  2. Lynn M. McGarvey
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. Janelle McFeetors.

Appendix

Appendix

Online reader comments for the study were selected from the following newspaper articles:

Alphonso, C. (2013, December 3). Canada’s fall in math-education ranking sets off alarm bells. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/canadas-fall-in-math-education-ranking-sets-off-red-flags/article15730663/-dashboard/follows/

Alphonso, C. (2013, December 3). Canada’s falling math rankings renews push for national standards. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/canadas-falling-math-rankings-renews-push-for-national-standards/article15755434/-dashboard/follows/

Alphonso, C. (2014, March 25). Parents push Alberta curriculum back to math basics. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/parents-push-alberta-back-to-math-basics/article17654746/#dashboard/follows/

Alphonso, C. & Maki, A. (2014, January 7). Math wrath: Parents and teachers demanding a return to basic skills. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/petitions-press-provinces-to-put-emphasis-on-basic-math-skills/article16240118/-dashboard/follows/

Anderssen, E. (2014, March 1). Why the war over math is distracting and futile. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/why-the-war-over-math-is-distracting-and-futile/article17178295/

Blaze Carlson, K. (2014, January 10). Math wars: The division over how to improve test scores. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/making-the-grade-the-provincial-push-for-better-math-scores/article16290351/

Globe Editorial (2014, March 28). Math education: Mom, what’s a ‘times table’? The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/editorials/mom-whats-a-times-table/article17720558/

Hopper, T. (2014, February 28). Does ‘discovery learning’ prepare Alberta students for the 21st century or will it toss out a top tier education system? The National Post. Retrieved from Retrieved from http://news.nationalPost. Retrieved from com/2014/02/28/does-discovery-learning-prepare-alberta-students-for-the-21st-century-or-will-it-toss-out-a-top-tier-education-system/

Kay, J. (2014, March 25). Want to ‘empower’ your kid? Make her memorize the multiplication table. The National Post. Retrieved from http://fullcomment.nationalPost.com/2014/03/25/jonathan-kay-want-to-empower-your-kid-teach-them-the-multiplication-table/

MacDonald, M. (2013, September 13). Frustrated professors convince elementary schools to step back from ‘new math’ and go ‘back to basics.’ The National Post. Retrieved from http://news.nationalPost.com/2013/09/13/frustrated-professors-convince-schools-to-step-back-from-new-math-and-go-back-to-basics/

Morrow, A. (2014, January 8). Provinces stick with ‘discovery math’ despite back-to-basics push. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/provinces-stick-with-discovery-math-despite-back-to-basics-push/article16250862/-dashboard/follows/

Renzetti, E. (2014, January 11). Math-obsessed parents should sit back, relax and count to 10. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/math-obsessed-parents-should-sit-back-relax-and-count-to-10/article16287959/-dashboard/follows/

Tran-Davies, N. (2014, January 1). Why one Alberta mom started a petition to change math education in 2014. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/a-mothers-petition-in-2014-lets-change-math-education/article16150193/?ts=140620231954&ord=1#dashboard/follows/

Tran-Davies, N. (2014, March 10). Alberta’s discovery curriculum fails the kids. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/alberta-education-reforms-ignore-kids-parents/article17390684/

Wente, M. (2014, March 4). Canada’s math woes are adding up. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/canadas-math-woes-are-adding-up/article17226537/#dashboard/follows/

Note: A repository of newspaper articles is accessible here:https://sites.google.com/a/ualberta.ca/mathnewsrepository/home

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McFeetors, P.J., McGarvey, L.M. Public Perceptions of the Basic Skills Crisis. Can. J. Sci. Math. Techn. Educ. 19, 21–34 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42330-018-0016-1

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