Leslie P. Steffe – författare

Over the last twenty-five years Ernst von Glasersfeld has had a tremendous impact on mathematics and science education through his fundamental insights into the nature of knowledge and knowing. Radical Constructivism in Action is a new volume of papers honouring his work by building on his model of knowing. The contributions by leading researchers present constructivism in action, tying the authors'' actions regarding practical problems of mathematics and science education, philosophy, and sociology to their philosophical constraints, giving meaning to constructivism operationally. The book begins with a retrospective analogy between radical constructivism''s emergence and changes in what is thought of as "certain" scientific knowledge. It aims to increase understanding of constructivism and Glasersfeld''s achievement, and is vibrant evidence of the continued vitality of research in the constructivism tradition.

Over the last twenty-five years Ernst von Glasersfeld has had a tremendous impact on mathematics and science education through his fundamental insights into the nature of knowledge and knowing. Radical Constructivism in Action is a new volume of papers honouring his work by building on his model of knowing. The contributions by leading researchers present constructivism in action, tying the authors'' actions regarding practical problems of mathematics and science education, philosophy, and sociology to their philosophical constraints, giving meaning to constructivism operationally. The book begins with a retrospective analogy between radical constructivism''s emergence and changes in what is thought of as "certain" scientific knowledge. It aims to increase understanding of constructivism and Glasersfeld''s achievement, and is vibrant evidence of the continued vitality of research in the constructivism tradition.

Eminent scholars from around the globe gathered to discuss how educational systems would change if the prevailing principles of constructivism were applied to three major aspects of those systems -- knowledge and learning, communication, and environment. This volume provides documentation of the proceedings of this important meeting - - the Early Childhood Action Group of the Sixth International Congress on Mathematics Education. This international assembly, representing such diverse disciplines as mathematics and math education, epistemology, philosophy, cognitive science, psycholinguistics, and science education, is the first to examine early childhood mathematics education from constructivist and international perspectives in addition to formulating recommendations for future work in the field.

Eminent scholars from around the globe gathered to discuss how educational systems would change if the prevailing principles of constructivism were applied to three major aspects of those systems -- knowledge and learning, communication, and environment. This volume provides documentation of the proceedings of this important meeting - - the Early Childhood Action Group of the Sixth International Congress on Mathematics Education. This international assembly, representing such diverse disciplines as mathematics and math education, epistemology, philosophy, cognitive science, psycholinguistics, and science education, is the first to examine early childhood mathematics education from constructivist and international perspectives in addition to formulating recommendations for future work in the field.

Unique in offering a multidisciplinary perspective on key issues of alternative epistemologies in education, this collection includes contributions from scholars in family therapy, epistemology, and mathematics, science, and language education. These respected researchers were brought together to develop the theme of constructivism as it applies to many diversified fields. This book examines key distinctions of various constructivist epistemologies, comparing and contrasting the various paradigms. Each section provides both keynote positions on a particular alternative paradigm as well as critical comments by respondents regarding that position. Several chapters also present a synthesis of the alternative epistemological perspectives.

Unique in offering a multidisciplinary perspective on key issues of alternative epistemologies in education, this collection includes contributions from scholars in family therapy, epistemology, and mathematics, science, and language education. These respected researchers were brought together to develop the theme of constructivism as it applies to many diversified fields. This book examines key distinctions of various constructivist epistemologies, comparing and contrasting the various paradigms. Each section provides both keynote positions on a particular alternative paradigm as well as critical comments by respondents regarding that position. Several chapters also present a synthesis of the alternative epistemological perspectives.

Chemists, working with only mortars and pestles, could not get very far unless they had mathematical models to explain what was happening "inside" of their elements of experience -- an example of what could be termed mathematical learning. This volume contains the proceedings of Work Group 4: Theories of Mathematics, a subgroup of the Seventh International Congress on Mathematical Education held at Université Laval in Québec. Bringing together multiple perspectives on mathematical thinking, this volume presents elaborations on principles reflecting the progress made in the field over the past 20 years and represents starting points for understanding mathematical learning today. This volume will be of importance to educational researchers, math educators, graduate students of mathematical learning, and anyone interested in the enterprise of improving mathematical learning worldwide.

Chemists, working with only mortars and pestles, could not get very far unless they had mathematical models to explain what was happening "inside" of their elements of experience -- an example of what could be termed mathematical learning. This volume contains the proceedings of Work Group 4: Theories of Mathematics, a subgroup of the Seventh International Congress on Mathematical Education held at Université Laval in Québec. Bringing together multiple perspectives on mathematical thinking, this volume presents elaborations on principles reflecting the progress made in the field over the past 20 years and represents starting points for understanding mathematical learning today. This volume will be of importance to educational researchers, math educators, graduate students of mathematical learning, and anyone interested in the enterprise of improving mathematical learning worldwide.

Children’s Fractional Knowledge elegantly tracks the construction of knowledge, both by children learning new methods of reasoning and by the researchers studying their methods. The book challenges the widely held belief that children’s whole number knowledge is a distraction from their learning of fractions by positing that their fractional learning involves reorganizing—not simply using or building upon—their whole number knowledge. This hypothesis is explained in detail using examples of actual grade-schoolers approaching problems in fractions including the schemes they construct to relate parts to a whole, to produce a fraction as a multiple of a unit part, to transform a fraction into a commensurate fraction, or to combine two fractions multiplicatively or additively.

These case studies provide a singular journey into children’s mathematics experience, which often varies greatly from that of adults. Moreover, the authors’ descriptive terms reflect children’s quantitative operations, as opposed to adult mathematical phrases rooted in concepts that do not reflect—and which in the classroom may even suppress—youngsters’ learning experiences.

Highlights of the coverage:

This fresh perspective is of immediate importance to researchers in mathematics education. With the up-close lens onto mathematical development found in Children’s Fractional Knowledge, readers can work toward creating more effective methods for improving young learners’ quantitative reasoning skills.