SRI 'Mathematics Education Research Project'
Abstract/description
In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and evolving societal challenges, the role of mathematics education has never been more crucial. The 4TU.AMI Srategic Research Initiative 'MEReP' (Mathematics Education Research Project) aims to address the pressing need to adapt and enhance mathematical education at Dutch universities to meet contemporary demands effectively.
This SRI started on 01-04-2024 and aims to reach its goals before 01-04-2026.
Goals
Our primary objective is to refine and improve existing mathematical competency frameworks, ensuring they align with the specific needs of Dutch universities. We aim to achieve this through a collaborative approach, incorporating stakeholder feedback to create context-specific resources and guidelines.
We intend to achieve this through:
- Enhancing Mathematical Competencies: Collaborating closely with 4TU universities and RUG to develop and refine mathematical competencies tailored for higher education. We believe that by pooling our resources and expertise, we can unlock the full potential of these competencies to elevate mathematics learning and instruction.
- Modernizing Mathematical Education: Acknowledging that traditional teaching approaches are becoming less effective, we are committed to introducing innovative teaching methods that resonate with the changing learning styles and technological advancements of today's students. Our goal is to foster 21st-century skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and computational thinking, which are essential for contemporary success.
- Measuring Achievement in Mathematics Teaching: We aim to explore various metrics and strategies to assess the effectiveness of new teaching methodologies in mathematics education. By tackling key questions about the impact of these methods and defining clear criteria for student learning and success, we aim to develop comprehensive roadmaps for evaluating and improving teaching innovations.
Reading Group
What are the essential aspects of learning mathematics? And how can we, as teachers, design and develop the best learning experiences for our students? These are important questions that university mathematics teachers often ask themselves. Less often, however, are teachers aware of current developments in mathematical education research. The field of education is huge and perhaps unfamiliar to many of us, and it’s hard to know where to start.
In order to tackle this challenge, we are organizing a reading group among mathematics teachers, where we can learn together about up-to-date evidence-based approaches to university mathematics education. We propose meeting (online) about 6 times per year, each time to discuss a different research paper in mathematics education. We also aim to share experiences and compare our different approaches, in the context of the paper studied. If this sounds interesting to you, please get in touch with us via: valente.ramirez@wur.nl
Contact persons
- Saskia Burgers (WUR)
- Annoesjka Cabo (TU Delft)
- Nelly Litvak (TU/e)
- Tamás Görbe (RUG)
- Fulya Kula (UT)
In memoriam Alessandro Di Bucchianico
Dr. Alessandro Di Bucchianico, a cherished colleague and 4TU.AMI SRI member of our MEReP, has passed away, leaving us deeply saddened. Alessandro's significant contributions to our SRI have left an important impact. His dedication to education and outstanding research made him not only an exceptional mathematician but also a treasured member of our academic family. Alessandro's professionalism and kindness will be profoundly missed. His untimely passing is a significant loss. We extend our heartfelt sympathies and support to his loved ones during this difficult time. Alessandro was so much looking forward to contributing to the realizations of our MEReP. Honoring Alessandro's memory, we are committed to striving to uphold the vision he held dear and collectively achieving the goals he envisioned.
