TME(2023) Vol 4, No. 2, pp 125-147

Fostering Disciplinary Thinking through Mathematical Inquiry

Joseph B. W. YEO and CHOY Ban Heng

National Institute of Education
Nanyang Technological University
Singapore

Published in The Mathematician Educator, 2023, Vol 4, No. 2, pp 125-147.

Abstract

The recent revision of the Singapore secondary mathematics syllabuses emphasises seeing mathematics as a tool and as a discipline. Doing this requires teachers to design and implement inquiry-based learning activities with their students. However, it is not always clear what inquiry-based learning entails and what it means for students to learn mathematics as a discipline. In this paper, we discuss what it means to think like a mathematician and illustrate three forms of inquiry-based teaching approaches with some examples for teachers to consider.

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