[Maths-Education] images of maths teachers

[Jenny Sharp]

You have probably all heard and read the recent stories about the
research carried out at the University of Plymouth into students
images of math teachers.

I would like to point out on behalf of Professor John Berry and Dr
Susan Picker who did the research that the pictures were not of maths
teachers. The students were asked to draw a picture of a mathematician
at work. It was interesting that on the same questionaire the students
were asked if they knew any mathematicians and very few of them said
yes. They did not count their teachers as mathematicians.

It was never our intention to give a negative image of mathematics or
maths teachers. The research showed that the image that children have
of mathematics and maths teachers was a negative one and it is our job
as mathematicians to change this. A further part of the research which
the press failed to mention was that after meeting mathematcians all
the students images changed from the negative ones you have seen to
very positive ones of 'real' people.

Thank you.

Jenny Sharp
Dr J Sharp
Centre for Teaching Mathematics
University of Plymouth
Plymouth
Devon
PL4 8AA
Tel: (01752) 232771
Fax: (01752) 232772
Visit our Website at 
http://www.tech.plym.ac.uk/maths/CTMHOME/CTM.HTML