Modelling in Mathematics Education Research
G. Brandell (Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Lund University)
A large number of conferences reports, journal papers and books have been published on the role of mathematical modelling and applications in mathematics education all the time since the 1960s. The research on the teaching and learning of mathematical modelling has attracted even more interest during the last years, manifested i.e. in the most recent ICMI Study Seminar publication (1). In many cases the focus is on primary level. Modelling in that case is often related to “word problems” and the interpretation of such problems within the frame of pupils’ experience from outside of the mathematics classroom. Other researchers in mathematics education and mathematicians have directed their interest to secondary and tertiary level, in which case more complex modelling processes in educational settings are investigated. In this presentation I will discuss concepts and theoretical frameworks of special significance in this field of research. One is the concept of modelling competence, a concept that has been interpreted or defined in various ways by different researchers. It is understood as one of several sub competencies related to and intertwined with other mathematical competencies. One question addressed is in what way the development of a modelling competency may improve other mathematical sub competencies especially seen in a long-term perspective.
(1) Blum, W., Galbraith, P.L., Henn, H-W., Niss, M. (eds). Modelling and Application in Mathematics Education. The 14the ICMI Study. Springer 2007