It would be neither presumptuous nor extravagant to uphold the necessity that mathematics entails in every individual’s life. In fact, the observation of Kaiser-Messmer (1986) more than two and a half decades ago still rings true as he argues that mathematics is simply very significant both in the theoretical and practical aspects of human existence. This claim, implicative of deeper domains, is certainly most evident in everyday living. Perhaps, every existing human being will attest to the undeniable help that mathematics offers either in the most complicated or in the most primitive way of life.
In conjunction with this, Pollack (1969) earlier pronounces the importance of mathematics in a practical sense. Having this view in mind, he maintains that it is inescapable to look at mathematics as a tool that enables students or learners to solve practical problems. Seen in this light, mathematics ceases to be an armchair subject where students are merely engaged in lofty thinking activities inside the classroom devoid of any practical consideration and application. Pollack’s (1969) and Kaiser-Messmer’s (1986) stance will be a turning point for mathematics to depart from its traditional perspective providing an impetus for a higher level of contemporary view and application if to be taken seriously in its most truest sense.
On the other hand, Freudenthal (1973) also furnishes the academic community with a template of how mathematics has transformed into a scientific-humanistic view. He further argues that this perspective is leaning towards a more scientific and humanistic ideals of education focusing on the skills and knowledge of students or learners to find relevance between mathematics and reality. While it could be argued that later in 1981 Freudential changed his stance by espousing the practical view of mathematics, his prototyping of mathematics as a scientific-humanistic perspective is truly remarkable. For one, this template upholds the role of mathematics in science enterprise. For another, it introduces mathematics with humanistic claims.
Out of these two innovative lenses on how to look at mathematics as a subject, few several more subsequently arose. Although the motive might have been for differences, the chief aim still is to capture the role and importance of mathematics through a perspective. For example, Revuz (1971) introduces the epistemological perspective. In this view, he argues for the foundational role of mathematics in solving complicated scientific issues which comes forth from an observation of a real and authentic situation developing into a mathematical theory. More than a play of words, this perspective puts mathematics in the realm of experience and thus epistemological and thorough-grounded. Another perspective, called emancipatory perspective was introduced in the early 21st century by Gellert, Jablonka, and Keitel, (2001). This view, they maintain, is a contemporary propensity where the socio-critical attempts of mathematics pedagogy is considered.
Finally, Blum and Niss (1991) present mathematics as an integrative perspective more than two decades ago. Highly theoretical in nature, they insist for a hierarchy of aims where mathematical modeling and application will be grounded. If taken fully into great consideration, this view will result to an amalgamation of scientific, humanistic, and pragmatic aims of mathematics all served in a state of equilibrium.
While the perspectives explicitly discussed above are radically different from one another, a unifying theme exists among them, that is, their overarching pronouncement of the value of mathematics theoretically and pragmatically. And learning institutions must do its best in order to instill this value to students.
References
Blum, W. & Niss, M. (1991). Applied Mathematical Problem Solving, Modelling, Applications, and Links to Other Subjects. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 22, 37- 68.
Freudenthal, H. (1973). Mathematics as an Educational Task. Dordrecht: Reidel.
Freudenthal, H. (1981). Mathematik, die uns angeht. Mathematiklehrer, 2, 3-5.
Gellert, U., Jablonka, E. & Keitel, C. (2001). Mathematical Literacy and Common Sense in Mathematics Education. In B. Atweh, H. Forgasz & B. Nebres (Eds.), Sociocultural Research on Mathematics Education (pp. 57- 76). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Kaiser-Messmer, G. (1986). Anwendungen im Mathematikunterricht. Vol. 1 Theoretische Konzeptionen. Bad Salzdetfurth: Franzbecker.
Pollak, H. (1969). How can we teach applications of mathematics? Educational Studies in Mathematics, 2, 393-404.
Revuz, A. (1971). The position of geometry in mathematical education. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 4, 48-52.
By: Rusell Alden R. Mangalindan
