[Maths-Education] Re: Mathematics and the Engineering Council

[Peter Gill]

>I think you'll find that the twenty-five year effect is very common.  I
>have quotes from 1896, 1925 and 1954 all claiming that maths was better
>taught/learned twenty-five years previously.
>
>Paul Garcia

Yes indeed, consult Alistair McIntosh "When will they ever learn?"
originally in Forum, vol19, no3, summer 1977 reprinted in "Developing
Mathematical Thinking" ed Floyd OU 1981 where he goes back over 150 years.

But I can beat that if we include the "They are better at maths in
Germany/Korea etc" - consult Plato's Dialogues ( Laws vii 819) where the
Athenian is explaining how much better the maths teaching is in Egypt
compared to Athens (using Ma 1 as far as I can tell!). That is going back
thousands of years

Peter Gill                    School of Education
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