Undergraduate Mathematics Pedagogy

Abstract

The debate over various approaches to the teaching of mathematics at university level has been gaining momentum in recent years (see Chapter 1, Part I). Before launching into a consideration of the pedagogical practices M states that he employs or that he wishes to employ in his discussion with RME, I would like to refer to two strong influences on this work: John Mason’s (2002) Mathematics Teaching Practice, which has impressed me1 with its lucidity, sophistication and succinctness (all crucial when addressing practitioners of mathematics teaching at this level, as M stresses repeatedly in Chapter 8) and the 2001 volume edited by Derek Holton and based on the 1998 ICMI Study The Teaching and Learning of Mathematics at University Level, that not only filled a glaring gap in the literature but is also very impressive with its international and thematic scope. Across this chapter I refer to many of the recommendations in both.