The feature article discussed in this forum presents an interesting description of how students work in the context of a virtual world, where they design phenomena that they subsequently investigate by analyzing graphical representations. The study is aligned with the current canon of science education interested in understanding the…

I argue that until ethnomathematical frameworks are explicitly used to investigate the specific mathematical practices in networks of powerful elites the term will continue to index that which is Other to "traditional" mathematics and run a risk of desubstantialization. I suggest that the field ally itself with disciplines and perspectives in…

I report a study that investigated ideas about critical thinking across three disciplines: Philosophy, History and Literary Studies. The findings point to a diversity of understandings and practices, ones that suggest the limitations of a more generic approach. I argue that a more useful conception of critical thinking is as a form of…

Most history teachers will, at some point, recognise the tension between teaching an engaging history course while at the same time meeting the requirements of an exam specification. Mark Fowle and Ben Egelnick reflect here on how they approached teaching a formal requirement of an exam specification. Rather than see "controlled…

The educational approach views the community of practice as a community of teachers and students who share common rules and values, information and experiences through dialogue and collaboration. Three doctoral theses are in progress at the University of Athens which study the possibilities of creating a community of practice in three different…

This paper examines to show how an investigative approach to mathematics teaching can honor its two important dimensions--a thinking and reasoning side to go with the skill development. The paper addresses the question of why a problem solving approach has failed, makes the case for investigations as an overarching organizer, and discusses the…

Although traditional instructional methods and textbooks mitigate against it, investigation can be a viable alternative strategy in the geometry classroom. Many theorems in geometry, such as Euclidean space, lend themselves easily to student experimentation. (Author/SJL)

Examines the processes of science focusing on the higher-order skills and the role that relevance may play in their acquisition. Argues that an open inquiry style of instruction appears best suited to stimulating the learning of process skills because it allows students to pursue problems of genuine relevance. Contains 26 references. (JRH)

Argues for new instructional methods that envision teacher explorer classrooms in which teachers and students utilize multimedia tools to construct knowledge. Describes the changing roles of the teacher and student and methods to evaluate the classroom process. Describes a classroom that includes hardware, software, training, motivation, and…

The narrative structure of a classroom event describes the order in which the story of the event unfolds. This paper compares the narrative structure of a traditional classroom to that of a communicative classroom. The comparison is made in the form of a drama in which a communicative mathematics spokesperson relates the comparative mathematics…

Proposes that problem scenarios are activities that give students opportunities to employ mathematics across the curriculum by asking them to define problems, identify information needed and potential sources of data, and make related conjectures. Discusses an example of a scenario involving transportation. (MDH)