Theory and Practice: A History of Two Centuries of Dutch Mathematics Education

Description

This book describes and analyses the history of Dutch mathematics education from the point of view of the changing motivations behind the teaching of mathematics over a 200 year period. During the course of the 19th century, mathematics in the Netherlands developed from a topic for practitioners into a school topic that was taught to almost all pupils of secondary education.  As mathematics teaching gradually lost its practical orientation and became more and more motivated on the basis of its supposed formative value, the HBS (Hogere Burgerschool), the Dutch variant of the German Realschule, became the dominant school of thought for mathematics pedagogy. This book examines the gradual development of the field, culminating in the country-wide adoption of Realistic Mathematics Education as the new method of mathematics teaching.  This book is important for anyone who is interested in the history of mathematics education. It provides an interesting perspective on the development of mathematics education in a country that, in many aspects, went its own way. Preface Contents Contents Contents List of Abbreviations and Acronyms Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 A Short Bibliography of the History of Dutch Mathematics Education Chapter 2: Prologue 2.1 Primary Schools 2.2 Latin Schools 2.3 French and Vocational Schools 2.4 Societies 2.5 Universities and Polytechnics Avant la Lettre 2.6 An Exceptional Country 2.7 On the Threshold of a New Era 2.8 Reform in a European Context 2.9 Conclusion Chapter 3: The Emergence of Mathematics as a School Topic 3.1 Latin Schools 1815–1826 3.1.1 The Decree of 1815 3.1.2 The Teachers 3.1.3 Content and Organisation 3.1.4 Lesson Plans 3.1.5 Textbooks 3.1.6 Jacob de Gelder 3.1.7 A Conflict at the Latin School of Leiden 3.1.8 Towards a Step Forward 3.2 Latin Schools 1826–1838 3.2.1 The Decrees of 1826 and 1827 3.2.2 Textbooks and Didactical Publications by Jacob de Gelder 3.2.3 The Effect of the Measures 3.2.4 Some More Details: Amsterdam, Leiden and Rotterdam 3.2.5 Teachers and Didactics 3.2.6 Some Form of Teacher Training 3.2.7 Conclusion 3.3 Latin Schools 1838–1876 3.3.1 The Second Departments 3.3.2 The Curricula at the Gymnasia 3.3.3 Teachers 3.3.4 Textbooks 3.3.5 The State Exam and Afterwards 3.4 Mathematics Teaching at Other Schools 3.4.1 Primary Schools 3.4.2 French Schools 3.4.3 Vocational Schools 3.5 Summary and Analysis Chapter 4: The HBS and the New Gymnasia 4.1 The First Decades of the HBS 4.1.1 The Law on Secondary Education of 1863 4.1.2 The Schools for Secondary Education 4.1.3 The Mathematics Curriculum at the HBS 4.1.4 Teachers 4.1.5 Textbooks 4.1.6 Jan Versluys 4.1.7 In a Wider Perspective 4.2 Reform of Latin Schools 4.2.1 The Curriculum 4.2.2 Teachers and Textbooks 4.3 Classical Versus Realistic Education 4.3.1 Gymnasia and HBS in a European Context 4.3.2 The Prussian Example Chapter 5: Stagnation and Reform: Curricula 1900–1968 5.1 A Patchwork of Laws and Schools 5.1.1 Lycea 5.1.2 HBS-A 5.1.3 Extended Primary and Vocational Schools 5.1.4 Summary 5.2 HBS and Gymnasia in the First Decades of the Twentieth Century 5.2.1 Arithmetic 5.2.2 Algebra, Geometry and Trigonometry 5.2.3 Failed Reform in the HBS 5.2.4 Reform at the Gymnasia 5.3 The Third and Fourth Decade 5.3.1 Eduard Jan Dijksterhuis 5.3.2 The Beth-Dijksterhuis Proposals 5.3.3 The Reception of the Report 5.3.4 The Curriculum of 1937 5.4 After the War 5.4.1 The Wimecos Curriculum 5.5 Extended Primary Schools and Vocational Schools 5.6 Summary and Analysis Chapter 6: Teachers, Textbooks and Didactics 1900–1968 6.1 Teachers 6.1.1 Teacher Education 6.1.2 Teacher Organisations 6.1.3 Liwenagel 6.1.4 Wimecos 6.1.5 Other Organisations 6.1.6 An Outsider: The Wiskunde Werkgroep 6.2 Journals for Teachers 6.2.1 Wiskundig Tijdschrift 6.2.2 Euclides 6.3 Textbooks and Didactics 6.3.1 Pieter Wijdenes 6.3.2 Aside from the Mainstream 6.3.3 After the War Chapter 7: Modern Mathematics 7.1 Prelude 7.1.1 Van Dantzig 7.1.2 Modern Mathematics 7.1.3 The Dutch at Royaumont 7.2 The CMLW 7.2.1 Hans Freudenthal 7.2.2 The Early Years of the CMLW 7.2.3 A Complication: A New Law on Secondary Education 7.2.4 New Experts 7.2.5 Wiskobas 7.2.6 From CMLW to IOWO 7.3 New Curricula and Textbooks 7.3.1 The Problem of the Textbooks 7.3.2 The New Curricula and Exam Programs 7.3.3 Motivation and Criticism 7.4 After 1968 7.4.1 Results and Effects of the New Curriculum 7.4.2 Didactical Activities 7.5 In Hindsight 7.5.1 Stagnation Versus Reform 7.5.2 The Role of Freudenthal Chapter 8: Realistic Mathematics Education 8.1 The IOWO and OW&OC 8.1.1 Realistic Mathematics Education (RME): Wiskobas 8.1.2 RME: Wiskivon 8.2 RME: Mathematics A 8.2.1 The Hewet Report 8.2.2 The Hewet Project Chapter 9: Epilogue 9.1 After Hewet 9.1.1 The W12–16 Project 9.1.2 The ‘Profiles’: New Exam Programs 9.2 Changing Times 9.2.1 Criticism of Arithmetic Skills 9.2.2 Criticism of Algebraic Skills 9.2.3 The Freudenthal Institute 9.3 The Success of Realistic Mathematics Education: An Analysis 9.3.1 A Tradition of Usability? 9.3.2 The Practical Character of the HBS 9.3.3 Officials, Experts and Professionals 9.4 In a Bird’s-Eye View References Author Index Subject Index