Astrid Beckmann – författare

The book is based on the recently held Symposium on mathematics and its connections to the arts and sciences, namely the second Mathematics and its Connections to the Arts and Sciences (MACAS2)Symposium in Odense, Denmark (May 29-31, 2007). The chapters are an eclectic collection of interdisciplinary research initiatives undertaken by mathematics educators with implications for practitioners concerned with teaching and learning processes. The papers cover a wide genre of research domains within mathematics education (cognition, modelling, problem solving, teacher education, ethnomathematics, mathematical/statistical literacy, curricular and technological initiatives and research related to science education). The major interdisciplinary themes of the papers in this book are:

1. How can modelling activities be used to foster interdisciplinary projects in the school and university setting?

2. How can the intricate connections between mathematics and physics be used to design and research interdisciplinary activities in schools and the university?

3. How can research within the ethnomathematics domain of mathematics education be linked to critical mathematics education and interdisciplinary projects involving mathematics, art and culture?

4. How can the push for mathematical and statistical literacy be connected to other subjects in the school curricula and emphasized via interdisciplinary activities?

5. What are concrete examples of classroom experiments with empirical data that demonstrate new and unusual connections/relations between mathematics, arts and the sciences with implications for pedagogy?

6. What is the role of technology and new ICT interfaces in linking communities of learners in interdisciplinary activities involving problem solving? The book is an important contribution to the literature on educational initiatives in interdisciplinary education increasing vital for emerging professions of the 21st century.

This book celebrates the 15th anniversary of the bi-annual symposium series Mathematics and its Connections to the Arts and Sciences (MACAS), which was first held in 2005 following the continued collaboration of an international group of researchers from ICME Topic Study Group 21. The MACAS-conferences bring together scientists and educators who are interested in the connection between mathematics, arts and science in educational curriculum, while emphasizing on, as well as researching about, the role of mathematics. 

By pooling together these different approaches and viewpoints between mathematics, arts and sciences, this book reveals possible synergies and paths for collaborations. In view of the challenges of the 21st century, a modern approach to education with a focus on multi- and interdisciplinarity is more important than ever. The role of mathematics assumes a key role in this approach as it is connected to all other disciplines, suchas STEM education, physics, chemistry, biology, aesthetics and language, and can serve as a bridge between them.

This book discusses, amongst others, the curricular approaches to integrate mathematics and other disciplines, the importance of mathematical modelling and the interdisciplinarity ways for learning and studying of mathematics, as well as the intercultural dimensions of mathematics and mathematics in the digital era. All topics will be presented from very different perspectives and regarding very different contexts, including digitization, culture and sustainability.

This unique collection will serve as a very valuable and compact source for all above mentioned scientists and educators, as well as for use in advanced teacher education courses.