Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

What Counts as Mathematics When “We All Use Math Every Day”? A Look at NUMB3RS

2012; Springer Nature (Netherlands); Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/978-94-007-4304-5_4

1875-4457

Indigo Esmonde,

Mathematics Education and Programs

When students learn mathematics in school, they learn more than just the procedures, algorithms, and concepts. They also learn about what counts as mathematics, who practices mathematics, how they do so, and for what ends. But school is not the only source for students' developing notions of what mathematics is and what it is for. Students also learn about mathematics from the societal curriculum: "that massive, ongoing, informal curriculum of families, peer groups, neighborhoods, churches, organizations, institutions, mass media, and other socializing forces" (Cortés, 2004, p. 211). One pervasive source of education about mathematics is the media, including movies, television, newspaper and magazine articles, and YouTube. While popular media are often considered to reflect typical views of what mathematics is, they also influence popular opinion and convey information about what counts as mathematics, and what kinds of people engage in mathematics.