ONE TEACHER’S UNDERSTANDINGS AND PRACTICES FOR MAKING REAL-WORLD CONNECTIONS IN MATHEMATICS

• In Event: TEACHING AND CLASSROOM PRACTICE: MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS

Description

Recent scholarship in mathematics education has supported the power of connecting mathematics lessons to students’ lived experiences. This case study traces the reflections and pedagogical practice of a teacher who regularly connected her lessons to real-world contexts. We highlight how the teacher connected a fractions lesson to the context of making soup to accomplish several goals including: (1) sharing stories to learn more about students, (2) moving beyond numbers to build understanding, (3) building students’ mathematical confidence, and (4) making space for students to connect mathematical ideas. These findings provide insight into how real-world mathematical connections may impact students’ understanding.

Authors

• Kathleen Jablon Stoehr, Santa Clara University

• Erin Elizabeth Turner, University of Arizona

• Amanda Tori Sugimoto, University of Arizona