Mathematics Revisited Erasmus Project

Project Title

Mathematics Revisited

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development); Pedagogy and didactics; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills

Project Summary

“Mathematics Revisited” was a project of planning, producing, implementing, assessing and evaluating educational material for teaching school mathematics. Thereby we used historical influences from other subjects as well as elements from mathematical fiction and arts in an interdisciplinary approach.
The question of implementing historical and cultural dimensions in school mathematics should address issues of curriculum, teacher education, and instruction.
The challenges included lack of time, of material resources, and of expertise. When teachers have little time left in what they already do, how will they find time to integrate the history of mathematics? Do teachers have the necessary historical knowledge in their area? Where can they gain the needed support? A more fundamental challenge relates to the view about the nature of mathematical knowledge.
Our major objectives included: producing materials that would be used by teachers of mathematics; designing and/or assessing teaching/learning materials from history of mathematics, mathematical fiction and arts; promoting and stimulating interdisciplinary approach; engaging teachers in new teaching approaches and learning methods; improving students’ skills of teamwork and cooperation; providing professional experience and a set of good practices to the teachers;
General outcomes, concrete results and products of the planned activities vary and include: booklets, leaflets and pamphlets, posters, designs, postcards, blueprints/new modules/course packs, websites and/or wiki sites, various reports and exemplars, case study collection and reports, problem scenarios, good practice advice, videos, plays student newsletters and exhibitions. All results and products are available at our website: www.mathematicrevisited.com
More then 350 teachers, students and parents participated actively in the project from six countries (Austria, Greece, Malta, Romania, Spain-Basque Country, and Sweden) of all educational levels (Primary to Upper Secondary).
Twenty proposed activities where implemented in all schools. Six project meetings should have taken place, one in every country. But unfortunately due to Covit-19 the meeting in Malta could not take place physically. It was done virtually in March 2021. And at the meeting in Austria teachers from Malta and Greece were not allowed to leave theirs countries. They again participated virtually.
Also, at the beginning of the project we projected all our mobilities with physical participation, we managed to adapt all our activities at the online environment, all the online activities were organised according to the initial objective and the number of students involved in online activities was significantly bigger, which was better for the impact of our project in schools and local communities.
The activities covered a wide range of concepts and include: Literature with Mathematical fiction; Mathematics and Arts; Number Representation; Archaic mathematics; Achievements of famous mathematicians; Classical problems; Golden ratio; Symmetry in nature; Philosophy and Mathematics; History of π; Biographies; Women and Mathematics; Anecdotes and Games; Dramatization and cinema.
Students and teachers had numerous and varied experiences related to the cultural, historical, and scientific evolution of mathematics so they could appreciate the role of mathematics in the development of our contemporary society and explore these relationships among mathematics and the disciplines it serves. There are specific ways and examples in which history; fiction and arts can be integrated in mathematics. These included using historical snippets; research projects based on an historical text; primary sources; worksheets; historical packages; taking advantage of errors, alternative conceptions, changes of perspective, revision of implicit assumptions, and intuitive arguments; historical problems; mechanical instruments and devices; experimental mathematical activities; plays; films and other visual means; outdoors experiences; dramatizations, games, group projects and investigations, various art projects and the Internet.
The impact expected was to increase teachers’ and students’ motivation for the subject of mathematics; sharing of experience and materials was another impact for the future.
The collaboration between project partners let teachers learn from each other. They shared their knowledge and experience, found out more about the methods and theories of teaching school mathematics, collected and developed methodological material suitable for their students, established a body of good practices and implemented them to their schools.
The collaboration between students from different countries increased their self-esteem, developed their communication skills and also very important gave a new dimension to their understanding of different cultural backgrounds, tolerance, what equality and equity mean in an European society.

Project Website

http://www.mathematicsrevisited.com

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 118990,5 Eur

Project Coordinator

POLYTECHNISCHE SCHULE GMUNDEN & Country: AT

Project Partners

• CIFP INNOVACION SOCIAL – GIZARTE BERRIKUNTZAKO LHII
• Karlfeldtgymnasiet
• Primary School of Lakkoma
• COLEGIUL NATIONAL “ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA” GALATI
• St. Augustine College Malta