Abstract
In this chapter we explore how mathematics education is caught by a meritocratic sense of the useful and how it could benefit from a more creative and experiential approach. The notion of olympification in mathematics education comes to the fore in the analysis of the differences between the measurements of PISA and TIMSS, further detailed by an example of Flanders (Belgium). Besides the observation of the olympification we consider the possibility of another perspective on mathematics education, looking at a way of bringing classroom mathematics in interaction with the material grounding of mathematics and with other experiences in life. Based on the content analysis of eight international journals concerning mathematical education we demonstrate the extent in which teachers and researchers take care of outside classroom experiences as possible input for a mathematical curiosity and understanding. Focusing on the relation between mathematics and art we will shortly explore different examples of mathematics within the arts. Finally we bring an example of how a mathematician can creatively bring mathematics outside the classroom.
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Notes
- 1.
E.g. American Scientist, Leonardo, European Review, Educational philosophy and Theory, Journal of Aesthetic Education, Nature.
- 2.
In 2008 the 2nd international symposium on Mathematics and its Connections to the Arts and Sciences; The Bridges Conferences on Mathematics and Arts (in 2006 in London, see Sharp 2012).
- 3.
E.g. For Albrecht Dürer (Silver 2012).
- 4.
Which we could of course do, witness our contribution to one of the previous conferences of this research community and published in the related book series, see Van Bendegem and Coessens (2009).
- 5.
Namely Jean Paul Van Bendegem. Karen François was present at preparatory meetings. The initiative came from the department for cultural activities of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the set-up of the exhibition was in hands of Beeldenstorm, an artistic project group based in Anderlecht, also in Brussels.
- 6.
- 7.
The starting point of this development is to be found in Lakatos (1976) where for the first time a method or, in his own words, even a logic of mathematical discovery is proposed.
- 8.
See http://www.cut-the-knot.org/pythagoras/index.shtml (retrieved Friday 2 November 2012) for almost 100 different versions.
- 9.
Who in addition is locally very famous in Flanders thus for most visitors there is the immediate realisation that it is indeed an actor who is explaining the proof.
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Coessens, K., François, K., Van Bendegem, J.P. (2014). Olympification Versus Aesthetization: The Appeal of Mathematics Outside the Classroom. In: Smeyers, P., Depaepe, M. (eds) Educational Research: Material Culture and Its Representation. Educational Research, vol 8. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03083-8_11
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