The impact of university mathematics courses on early career teachers' teaching of differential calculus

in upper secondary school

Master thesis defence by Katrine Fredensborg Dedenroth

Abstract

In this project we consider the ’gap’ that teachers experience, when faced with having to teach students differential calculus in upper secondary school, having a university education mostly concerning advanced mathematics behind them. We do this investigating (1) the relation between contents of differential calculus in selected courses of advanced mathematics at the university, and the contents of differential calculus of the curriculum of mathematics in upper secondary school, and (2) how practising teachers, who are more or less recent in practice, perceive their usage of their knowledge acquired from these courses at the university, when teaching differential calculus in upper secondary school. Are there direct and visible relations between contents of differential calculus met at the university and differential calculus to be taught in upper secondary school? Do the teachers pick up these relations? Are the practicing teachers capable of giving concrete examples of use of knowledge acquired at the university, when they teach differential calculus in upper secondary school? How do they perceive any shortcomings and what are their suggestions overcoming these? We present a theoretical framework, based on the anthropological theory of the didactic, for an analysis of these questions, as well as a number of critical observations, that former researchers on the subject have done, and reflections on how these questions appear as challenges in an educational context.

Censor: Claus Michelsen (SDU)

Supervisor/examiner: Carl Winsløw