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Abstract
The literature and our experiences suggest that gifted students believe doing mathematics is fi nding the right answer and learning mathematics involves memorizing isolated procedures. These beliefs are asynchronous with reform efforts predicated by a socio-cultural view of the teaching of mathematics and with the discipline of mathematics described within the philosophy of mathematics literature. We developed a philosophy of mathematics unit based on a notion of ’messiness’ and implemented it with gifted high school students during a philosophy course. Messiness highlights the uncertain, social, and contextual aspects of school mathematics. Preliminary analyses suggest that while most students did not engage with alternative visions of mathematics, some did, and their appreciation of mathematics seemed to grow. We conclude that high school math for all gifted students, not just those taking philosophy, should be infused with messiness.
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Notes on contributors
Laura McMaster
Laura McMaster has a Ph.D. in philosophy and is a high school English and Philosophy teacher. She is interested in integrating philosophy across the curriculum and investigating how its integration affects critical and creative thinking.
Paul Betts
Paul Betts is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Winnipeg. One of his research interests is a person’s identity in relation to mathematics, especially as they pertain to the nature of mathematics, and how this identity is entangled with the doing, learning and teaching of mathematics.