Jonker, V., Wijers, M., Abels, M., & Keijzer, R. (2016). Let’s have a look behind the code. The Big Mathematics Day 2016 (Netherlands) about coding without computer. Paper presented at the PATT, De Bilt, the Netherlands.
Students in Dutch primary schools spend quite some time working on mathematics. The average lessons however are limited to relatively short interactive introductions of new content; the rest of the time pupils spend on paper and pencil work. There is little time for mathematical reasoning and problem solving that inspires both students and teachers. In 2004 the Freudenthal Institute of Utrecht University started an annual event (the ‘Grote Rekendag’, the Big Mathematics Day) to promote inquiry learning in the mathematics lessons of primary school. In 2016 we organized this event with the theme “Let’s have a look behind the code”, a theme inspired by the activities from ‘CS unplugged’ and by other educational ideas and the upcoming interest in coding and programming for young children. Using interviews (pupils age 9-12 and teachers) and a questionnaire we investigated what pupils and teachers liked about the theme and the activities and what they think they learned from these.Results show that teachers and pupils liked the activities. Teachers indicated that their pupils learned about coding and procedures, and less about how a computer works.
Van der Zee, S., Bredeweg, B., Embrechts, A., Hotze, A., Jonker, V., Keijzer, R., Kruiskamp, M., Nieveen, N., Muller – van der Molen, A., Pennink, D., Pijls, M., & Poortman, C. (2023). STEM-netwerk: leren van een landelijk lerend netwerk. Tijdschrift voor Lerarenopleiders, 44(2), 21-36.
Vollmuller, B., Veldhuis, M., Otten, M., Stuber, S., Anantharajan, M., & Keijzer, R. (2023). Developing functional thinking from teacher education to primary school: students walk along the number line. Presented at: CERME13 in Budapest, Hungary.
Understanding of, and reasoning about, descriptions of relations between quantities is an important aspect of mathematical learning and essential for anyone to function in society. Performing, guiding, and designing activities to support functional thinking is currently not part of the curriculum neither in primary education nor teacher education in the Netherlands. Activities for both primary education and teacher education are developed as part of the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership FunThink. This poster shows how two preservice teachers translate activities on functional thinking from teacher education to practice. We concluded that these preservice teachers translate activities on functional thinking by mimicking most of the elements of the teacher education activity. The preservice teachers also make slight adaptations to the activity based on their own beliefs and interpretation of the activity and the perceived ability of their students.
Keijzer, R. (2023). Conceptueel kijken naar breuken. Volgens Bartjens – ontwikkeling en onderzoek, 42(5), 51-65.
