Making Real Analysis Relevant to Secondary Teachers: Building Up from and Stepping Down to Practice. Issue 6 (3rd July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wasserman, Nicholas H.; Fukawa-Connelly, Timothy; Villanueva, Matthew; Mejia-Ramos, Juan Pablo; Weber, Keith
• Is Part Of: PRIMUS. Volume 27:Issue 6(2017)
• Page Start: 559
• Page End: 578
• Publication Date: 2017-07-03
• Subjects: Real analysis -- secondary teacher preparation -- mathematical knowledge for teaching -- pedagogical content knowledge; Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Periodicals; 510.711
• DOI: 10.1080/10511970.2016.1225874
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1051-1970

Abstract

Abstract: Future teachers often claim that advanced undergraduate courses, even those that attempt to connect to school mathematics, are not useful for their teaching. This paper proposes a new way of designing advanced undergraduate content courses for secondary teachers. The model involves beginning with an analysis of the curriculum and practices of school mathematics and its teaching, and then using those to build up to the advanced mathematics – in this case, real analysis. After developing definitions, examples, theorems, and proofs, the model then reconnects to practice, asking the teachers to translate ideas from real analysis in ways that are appropriate for teaching high school content to students. To illustrate the model, we provide and discuss two example tasks.