Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: Common Core Standards ("Common core," 2010) contains a more detailed definition of mathematical thinkers as people who: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them… Reason abstractly and quantitatively… Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others… Model with mathematics… Use appropriate tools strategically… Attend to precision…Look for and make use of structure…Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning (pp.4-5).While not inappropriate, both definitions seem to be arbitrarily chosen lists of characteristics that are just as ambiguous in definition.After all, many other disciplines must require practitioners to make conjectures or use appropriate tools.How then, do these listed traits specifically describe mathematical thinking?Additionally, even if these traits are solely the province of mathematics, there is no guarantee that the list is not redundant or overlooking large portions of the process of mathematical thinking.Similarly, even mathematics education researchers have been known to publish divergent uses of the term "mathematical thinking," sometimes even failing to define the term at all.For Instance, Silver (2003, as cited in Selden & Selden, 2005) commented that "advanced mathematical thinking" tends to be defined as "whatever the author chooses it to mean" (p.4).For example, many of those researching mathematical thinking discuss it as if it were a specialized function of the brain.As a case in point, Schoenfeld's (1992) position is that "thinking mathematically" involves adopting a certain frame of reference and not simple numeracy (p.335).At the other extreme, Sriraman (2009) remarks, "none of the theorists in HEP [Handbook of Educational
Author: Sean Francis Argyle
Institution: Kent State University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2461342082