The Maseeh Mathematics & Statistics
Colloquium Series.
Date and time: Friday, November 13, 2009 3:15 PMRoom: NH 209
Speaker: Megan Staples, University of Connecticut
www.education.uconn.edu/directory/details.cfm?id=254
Title: Justification as a disciplinary practice and a learning practice: Negotiating its meaning in mathematics classrooms
Abstract: In this talk, I explore the notion of justification as a disciplinary practice (central to the work of research mathematicians) and as a classroom learning practice (central to the work of mathematics teachers). As a disciplinary practice, justification has many purposes: it is used to validate claims, provide insight into a result, and systematize knowledge (Hanna, 2000). As a learning practice, justification may be used for these purposes, but also for other classroom-relevant purposes such as assessment, promoting mathematical dispositions, and pursuing content learning goals. Drawing on data from two research projects, I try to clarify the nature of justification as a learning practice and the relationship between its role in the classroom and the role of justification in the mathematicians’ community. I further analyze factors that shape these differences and explore the potential for greater alignment. Implications for mathematics education and teacher development will be discussed.