Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.15516/cje.v24i2.4451
What Is and What Is Not Mathematical Modelling in Primary School: Opinions of Slovenian and Croatian Primary School Teachers
Mateja Sabo Junger
orcid.org/0000-0002-1403-3693
; Faculty of Teacher Education University of Zagreb Savska cesta 77, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Alenka Lipovec
; Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics University of Maribor Koroška cesta 160, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Abstract
Every day we encounter various obstacles and tasks that we solve with the help of
mathematics, consciously or unconsciously. Mathematical modelling in teaching is
an important interactive process in which students are introduced to problems from
the real world and their environment. All education is slowly striving for students‘
better education on problem-solving, including mathematical modelling, but this is
not yet the practice in the lower grades of elementary schools. Our research describes
what mathematical modelling actually is in primary school and its advantages and
difficulties, all from the point of view of the primary school teachers themselves.
The research was conducted on 1000 primary school teachers from Croatia and
Slovenia. The study results show almost no differences according to the originating
country even though we expected some since Slovenia had previously introduced
mathematical modelling into its curricula. Results also indicate that teachers are
fairly uneducated on the topic of mathematical modelling, and the difficulties that
could arise from its introduction into the classroom. It can also be reported that
teachers are eager and ready for education on a given topic, and in the vast majority
show interest in additional much-needed education.
Keywords
cross-country comparison; mathematical models; mathematics; teacher education; primary school
Hrčak ID:
280647
URI
Publication date:
15.7.2022.
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