The International Congress on Mathematical Education 11 (ICME 11), will take place July 6-13, 2008, in Monterrey, Mexico. Topic Study Group 9 (TSG 9) will focus on mathematics in and for work and is calling for papers on these two intimately related issues.
First, how do people use mathematics and mathematical thinking in their work? What are the methodological difficulties of identifying mathematics in work? How can we characterize mathematics in work, when it typically looks very different from the mathematics that is taught in schools and universities? How explicit are the requirements for mathematics for work, and how do they vary across work contexts? How do employers determine whether prospective employees have the mathematical skills required for a specific position? How does the mathematics required in work relate to the nature of the workplace, its demographics?
The second issue concerns mathematics for work: What mathematics should be taught in order to prepare individuals and communities for work? Who needs what kinds of mathematics in workplaces? Who is or should be responsible for teaching mathematics for work? What is the relation between current mathematical content, as taught in schools and colleges, and the mathematics required for work? What teaching/learning strategies should be incorporated into mathematics classes to prepare future workers for the ways in which they will be expected to function in the workplace (this might include group work and developing skills needed to find and use resources in workplace-related problem solving)?
TSG 9 strives for its sessions to be open, inclusive, and productive. It is calling upon potential contributors to submit an abstract of their proposal of no more than one page. This might be a potential paper, a "position statement," an outline of a current or completed research project, or simply a provocative comment on one or both of these issues or related themes.
The closing date for abstracts is Dec. 1, 2007. Please send your proposal to Richard Noss and Susan Forman, including the "front page" below. Information can also be found on the ICME-11 website.
ABSTRACT
Name(s): Institution: Country: Email: URL
Title of proposal:
Nature of proposal (i.e. project report, research, policy initiative, comment, etc.)
One sentence summary:
The International Congresses are held every four years and offer a unique opportunity for mathematics educators from the United States and elsewhere to discuss issues related to mathematics education with international leaders from developed and developing countries.