Cultural foundations of a mathematician’s thinking: a Psychobiographical exploration of Zoltán Paul Dienes and his cognitive development

Abstract

This psychobiographical study utilises Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory to explore the impact of diverse cultural experiences on the intellectual growth of Zoltán Paul Dienes, a prominent mathematician and theorist of mathematical education. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory is particularly relevant for understanding the impact of culture on intellectual development. According to Vygotsky, cognitive development is shaped by social and cultural interactions, and the tools and practices of a given culture. The study employs a taxonomy of cognitive tools to categorise the influences young Dienes encountered in Hungary, Austria, France, United Kingdom and elsewhere. By examining the presence and frequency of these tools in his formative years, the research sheds light on the origins of Dienes’s principles in mathematical education. The research enriches psychobiography by integrating sociocultural theory, providing valuable insights into the relationship between culture, cognitive tools, and intellectual growth in knowledgeable individuals. Ultimately, this study contributes to a better comprehension of the origins and principles behind Dienes’s theory of mathematical education.

Keywords:

• Psychobiography
• Vygotsky
• Zoltán Paul dienes
• cognitive tool
• sociocultural theory

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the University of Pecs, Hungary and by the Research Programme for Public Education Development of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Reading Fluency and Comprehension Research Group, MTA-PTE

Ethical approval

Ethical considerations have been applied in this research.

Disclosrue statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Research Programme for Public Education Development of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Reading Fluency and Comprehension Research Group, MTA-PTE.