How To Implement Environmental Issues in Mathematics Curriculum And Textbooks

환경 교육과 수학 교육의 접점을 탐색

  • Published : 1999.07.01

Abstract

Mathematics has been usually recognized as value-neutral and anti-ideological subject, and as a result, it has not dealt with environmental problems clearly. Also, it is not easy to find any environment-related contents in the 7th mathematics curriculum. However, because mathematics is also precious human products and essence, in any ways there is a need to reflect the social issues in the mathematics subject which speak for human mental activities. If this need is admitted to change the mathematics contents to the direction of social issues, environmental problems can stand out and be dealt in the mathematics education. Among the 6 domains in the 7th mathematics curriculum, the environmental problems can be dealt with in the domains of ‘numbers and operation’, ‘letters and formulas’, ‘regularity and function’, ‘chances and statistics’, ‘measurement’ except in the domain of ‘diagrams’. Also, the '문장제들' which takes up a considerable part of mathematics textbooks needs the authentic situation, and thus it will be possible to take environmental situations as mathematical materials. Furthermore, one of the 7th mathematics curriculum is that it suggested further study in each level of each domain, the representative pattern of which is the application of the mathemantics contents to the daily life. With this kind of mathematics further study contents, environmental problems can provide a variety of contents for the further study. From this viewpoint, it can be expected that the contents of environmental education will be increased in the mathematics subject. Under the recognition that the mathematics subject cannot be an exception in considering environmental problems, this study has studied some concrete plans and examples for how the mathematics textbooks based on the 7th educational curriculum can deal with environmental Problems.

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