An exploration of future trends in environmental education research

This article describes future trends in environmental education (EE) research based on a mixed-methods study where data were collected through a content analysis of peer-reviewed articles published in EE journals between 2005 and 2010; interviews with experts engaged in EE research and sustainability-related fields; surveys with current EE researchers; and convenings with EE researchers and practitioners. We discuss four core thematic findings: (1) EE researchers are highlighting the importance of collective and community learning and action; (2) EE researchers are placing increased emphasis on the intersection of learning within the context of social-ecological communities (e.g. links between environmental quality and human well-being); (3) a pressing need exists for research conducted with urban and diverse populations; and (4) research around social media and other information technologies is of great interest, yet currently is sparse. © 2013 © 2013 Taylor & Francis.

Difficulties and errors in number reasoning development

The detailed study of difficulties and errors in young learner comprehension is a relevant and productive research field in Mathematics Education. Studies in the field are numerous although somewhat too varied. The present paper is suggesting methodological perspectives and principles applying to the field of research; we also show an example with school work. The use of figurate numbers as a representation system gives richer conceptual values, boosts visual reasoning and facilitates learner understanding.

Proyecto "mete" (mathematics education traditions of europe): el foco matemático

Este artículo presenta los resultados de un estudio sobre las tradiciones de enseñanza en cuatro países europeos: Bélgica (Flandes), Inglaterra, Hungría y España. Se trata de un estudio a pequeña escala en el que se emplean métodos cuantitativos y cualitativos, y que, en lugar de pretender obtener generalizaciones, está orientado a arrojar alguna luz que posibilite la mejora de la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de las matemáticas. Establece comparaciones con los resultados de los test TIMSS y PISA y extrae alguna conclusión para la formación inicial de maestros y profesores de matemáticas. Extraemos de éste los resultados relativos a los datos cuantitativos y nos centramos en el foco matemático.

Inductive reasoning in the justification of the result of adding two even numbers

In this paper we present an analysis of the inductive reasoning of twelve secondary students in a mathematical problem-solving context. Students were proposed to justify what is the result of adding two even numbers. Starting from the theoretical framework, which is based on Pólya’s stages of inductive reasoning, and our empirical work, we created a category system that allowed us to make a qualitative data analysis. We show in this paper some of the results obtained in a previous study.

Graphical representation and generalization in sequences problems

In this paper we present different ways used by Secondary students to generalize when they try to solve problems involving sequences. 359 Spanish students solved generalization problems in a written test. These problems were posed through particular terms expressed in different representations. We present examples that illustrate different ways of achieving various types of generalization and how students express generalization. We identify graphical representation of generalization as a useful tool of getting other ways of expressing generalization, and we analyze its connection with other ways of expressing it.

The Experience of Security in Mathematics

In this paper, we report some findings from an investigation of a topic related to affect and mathematics which is not well-represented in the literature. For some mathematicians, mathematics itself is a source of security in an uncertain world, and we investigated this feeling and experience in the case of 19 adult mathematicians working in universities and schools in Greece. The focus reported here is on ways that a relationship with mathematics offers a sense of permanence and stability on the one hand, and an assurance of novelty and progress on the other.

'Bowing from the heart': an investigation into discourses of professionalism and the work of caring for students in further education

Since their incorporation in 1993, further education (FE) colleges in England have been responsible for their own staffing and, faced with funding constraints as well as recruitment and retention targets, some have introduced a new category of staff referred to here as 'learning support workers' (LSWs). Though their employment conditions and specific duties vary considerably, LSWs' work often includes providing individual care for students. In this small-scale study, using semi-structured interviews, the perceptions of some teachers and LSWs about the nature of their relationships with each other and with students are investigated. The study is set broadly in the context of debates about the impact of public sector reform on FE colleges and teachers. A discourse analysis approach is adopted in discussion of the data. The authors conclude that although they are differently positioned in relation to traditional discourses of professionalism, both teachers and LSWs are perceived to be carrying out what Hochschild termed 'emotional labour'. The contradictory nature of emotional labour is also highlighted. Some of the implications of employing a new group of workers in FE are discussed.

Learners' emotional and psychic responses to encounters with learning support in further education and training

This article investigates the experience of individual learners who have been allocated learning support in the further education system in England. The particular focus is on interviewees' constructions of their emotional and psychic experiences. Through the adoption of a psycho-social perspective, learners' tendency to 'idealise' their learning support workers is understood as a strategy for coping with the anxiety generated by a range of previous experiences. The implications for policy-makers are discussed.