Learning in spaces of tension: Reflecting on my mathematics pedagogy
Date
2011-01-04T20:54:13Z
Authors
Grubb, Margaret A.
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Abstract
The purpose of this autoethnographic study was to (re)think my conceptions of teaching and learning mathematics. Using van Manen’s (1991) cycle of reflection, Jardine, Friesen, & Clifford’s notions of abundance (2006b), and Aoki’s (2005 [1993]) notions of “decentering the center”, I explored teaching vignettes that pointed to four sites of tension within my lived experiences as a mathematics educator: (a) instrumental vs. relational knowledge; (b) linear vs. recursive relationships between concrete and abstract mathematical experiences; (c) fixing mistakes vs. justification of mathematical thinking; and (d) problem solving vs. problem posing. The three common themes that arose were identified as: (a) my desire to enhance my understanding of mathematics; (b) the importance of occasioning time for students to interact in the mathematics classroom; and (c) my obsession with teaching to the test. I brought each site of tension and theme into conversation, drawing on relevant literature within curriculum studies and mathematics education. During the reflective process, not only did I experience a transformation in my conceptions of teaching and learning mathematics, but also in many fundamental ways my entire being was transformed.
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Keywords
Mathematics Education, Conceptual Understanding, Reflection, Interconnections/Relationships, Autoethnography