This timely volume raises issues concerning the nature of school mathematics and mathematics at work, and the challenges of teaching valuable mathematics in school and providing appropriate training for a variety of careers. It offers lively commentaries on important `hot' topics: transferring knowledge and skill across contexts; ‘authentic mathematics’; comparability of different types of assessment; and analyses of research methods.

Provides review and practice opportunities for using mathematical reasoning, critical thinking, and the problem-solving skills that are required in today's workplace.

Many in the mathematics community in the U.S. are involved in mathematics education in various capacities. This book highlights the breadth of the work in K-16 mathematics education done by members of US departments of mathematical sciences. It contains contributions by mathematicians and mathematics educators who do work in areas such as teacher education, quantitative literacy, informal education, writing and communication, social justice, outreach and mentoring, tactile learning, art and mathematics, ethnomathematics, scholarship of teaching and learning, and mathematics education research. Contributors describe their work, its impact, and how it is perceived and valued. In addition, there is a chapter, co-authored by two mathematicians who have become administrators, on the challenges of supporting, evaluating, and rewarding work in mathematics education in departments of mathematical sciences. This book is intended to inform the readership of the breadth of the work and to encourage discussion of its value in the mathematical community. The writing is expository, not technical, and should be accessible and informative to a diverse audience. The primary readership includes all those in departments of mathematical sciences in two or four year colleges and universities, and their administrators, as well as graduate students. Researchers in education may also find topics of interest. Other potential readers include those doing work in mathematics education in schools of education, and teachers of secondary or middle school mathematics as well as those involved in their professional development.

Improving Mathematics at Work questions the mathematical knowledge and skills that matter in the twenty-first century world of work, and studies how the use of mathematics in the workplace is evolving in the rapidly-changing context of new technologies and globalisation. Through a series of case studies from the manufacturing and financial service sectors, the authors argue that there has been a radical shift in the type mathematical skills required for work – a shift not yet fully recognised by the formal education system, or by employers and managers. Examining how information technology has changed mathematical requirements, the idea of Techno-mathematical Literacies (TmL) is introduced to describe the emerging need to be fluent in the language of mathematical inputs and outputs to technologies and to interpret and communicate with these, rather than merely to be procedurally competent with calculations. The authors argue for careful analyses of workplace activities, looking beyond the conventional thinking about numeracy, which still dominates policy arguments about workplace mathematics. Throughout their study, the authors answer the following fundamental questions: What mathematical knowledge and skills matter for the world of work today? How does information technology change the necessary knowledge and the ways in which it is encountered? How can we develop these essential new skills in the workforce? With evidence of successful opportunities to learn with TmL that were co-designed and evaluated with employers and employees, this book provides suggestions for the development of TmL through the use of authentic learning activities, and interactive software design. Essential reading for trainers and managers in industry, teachers, researchers and lecturers of mathematics education, and stakeholders implementing evidence-based policy, this book maps the fundamental changes taking place in workplace mathematics.

This book illustrates the wide range of issues that should affect any consideration of the relationship between mathematics education and the use of mathematics for practical and work purposes. The concept of ethnomathematics is discussed, and biases, including those of gender, in the content of mathematics and mathematics education are exposed. The views of researchers, users, training boards and employing organizations are presented, and international contributions provide a broader perspective through which to assess existing practices and to suggest alternatives. The book is organized in four main parts: (1) "The Context of Mathematics Education"; (2) "Mathematics in the Workplace--Research Views"; (3) Mathematics in the Workplace--User Views"; and (4) "School Mathematics in Context". Sample papers include, from part 1: "Ethnomathematics and Its Place in the History and Pedagogy of Mathematics" (U. D'Ambrosio); "Foundations of Eurocentism in Mathematics" (G. Joseph); and "Folk Mathematics" (E. Maier). Papers in part 2 include: "Mathematics and Workplace Research" (M. Harris and J. Evans); "The Role of Number in Work and Training" (D. Matthews); and "Mathematics in and Out of School: A Selective Review of Studies from Brazil." The first two papers in part 3, by S. Ingham and K. Pye respectively, focus on the place of mathematics in the clothing and textile industries. The third article in this section, is a review paper especially written for this volume entitled "The Gendering of Work" (J. Holland). Finally, papers from the fourth part include: "'Maths in the Workplace': Some Issues Arising Out of the Development of a Resource Pack" (P. Drake); and "Work Reclaimed: Status Mathematics in Non-Elitist Contexts" (M. Harris and C. Paechter). The book concludes with a description of the Maths in Work Project and its efforts to relate research to practice through the development of a unique set of learning materials. (KR)

This is the first book to explore adult mathematics education. It aims to situate research and practice in adults learning mathematics within the wider field of lifelong learning and lifelong education. Topics covered include: mathematics and common sense; statistical literacy and numeracy; new theories on learning mathematics; mathematical competences for the workplace; ethnomathematics; and the training of tutors