Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Διδακτική και Μεθοδολογία των ΜαθηματικώνLibrary of the School of Science
Author:
Ververas Nikolaos
Supervisors info:
Τριανταφύλλου Χρυσαυγή, Επικ. Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Μαθηματικών, ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
Διασύνδεση Μαθηματικών και Φυσικής: Μελέτη περίπτωσης δύο εκπαιδευτικών
Translated title:
Integration of Mathematics and Physics: A case study of two teachers
Summary:
Research in education has highlighted the significance of integrating Physics and Mathematics in teaching as well as the difficulties that students and teachers encounter when such an integration is attempted. This study focuses on the Challenges that teachers of Physics and Mathematics when they attempt to integrate the two objects of Physics and Mathematics. More specifically, it identifies their attributes in the wider socio-cultural environment and investigates their efforts to overcome these challenges. We adopt the theoretical perspective of 3rd generation Activity Theory and the theoretical lens of Contradictions and Dialectical Oppositions to map out these disturbances in the Activity Systems. This research is a case study of two teachers, one Mathematics and one Physics, which transpired in three stages. The first stage included semi-structured interviews with the two teachers separately in order for the researcher to become familiar with their opinions on the integration of these two objects (Physics and Mathematics). The second stage involved a discussion between the researcher and participants based on two tasks which aimed to integrate Physics and Mathematics. The third stage was concerned with getting feedback from the teachers on the two tasks presented and discussed in the previous stage. The data were analyzed utilizing the content analysis method following the grounded theory principles. The findings show a) Challenges relating to teachers’ knowledge, lack of appropriate teaching material, and negative stance of the members of the two teaching communities, b) important Contradictions between the two cognitive objects and c) Dialectical Oppositions which are rooted in issues of epistemological nature whose overcoming creates learning opportunities for teachers.
Main subject category:
Science
Keywords:
integration Physics-Mathematics, integrated STEM (iSTEM), contradictions, dialectical oppositions, activity theory
