Writing of Personal Statement on the Nature of Mathematics
The instructions on the following page were given to each participant to request that they write a brief personal statement concerning the nature of mathematics. The response was employed as the starting point for subsequent interview(s) exploring images of mathematics. Each participant was asked to fit the writing task into their schedule and interview times were arranged once the position statement was completed.
Exemplary Mathematics Teachers:
Subject Conceptions and Instructional Practices
To initiate the investigation of your views of the nature of mathematics I would like to ask you to write some brief personal statements. Please note that this is not meant to be a research essay but is designed to capture your personal position. There are no "correct" answers against which your responses will be measured.
Please respond to the following as if they were posed by some one who has not studied mathematics beyond the Grade 8 level.
1) What is mathematics?
2) Where does mathematical knowledge come from? How is mathematics formed?
3) How do I know that all these things in mathematics are true?
4) Why should I continue to study mathematics? What good is it to me or anyone else?
We (you and I) will use your responses to these questions as starting points in a future interview.