Abstract
Mathematics is often taught as a subject that can be presented in a clear structure and abstract form within the confines of a textbook resembling what Cobb, Wood, Yackel, and McNeal (1992) referred to as the “school mathematics tradition”. Katja quoted above is, thus, probably not unique in her description of her experiences in mathematics education. Because of the special characteristics of mathematics there might not initially seem to be any obvious reason for introducing students to the troublesome complexities of contextualisation where mathematics is, for example, used in a practical setting, a cross-disciplinary project or the like. Learning the core skills of mathematical calculations can be more than enough of a challenge for both teachers and students.
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Andersson, A., Ravn, O. (2012). A Philosophical Perspective on Contextualisations in Mathematics Education. In: Skovsmose, O., Skovsmose, O., Greer, B. (eds) Opening the Cage. New Directions in Mathematics and Science Education, vol 23. SensePublishers, Rotterdam. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6091-808-7_16
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