PROCEEDINGS OF THE 23RD ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2020
Boston, Massachusetts
A framework for meaning in mathematics
Page: 1199
Students ask the question “when is this ever going to be useful?” when speaking about mathematics. If we take this as a question about meaningfulness, how can teachers respond through their instruction (if they choose to do so) and how do they even understand the terms ‘meaningful’ and ‘meaning’? Prior research suggests beliefs influence instruction. I am interested in understanding how beliefs then influence what meanings instructors’ goals and instruction focus on. This theoretical paper aims to synthesize prior research to elaborate a framework of meaning orientations for instructors’ goals. Future research can then look at how and why instructors focus on certain orientations of meaning over others.