Modelling in Mathematics Classroom Instruction: An Innovative Approach for Transforming Mathematics Education

The attitude of many students all over the world is shaped by the experience of learning impractical algorithms without any relevance for their actual or future life. Many students only learn algorithms and concepts in order to pass examinations and forget them afterwards. The inclusion of mathematical modelling in schools is one current innovative approach, which has the potential to offer students insight into the usefulness of mathematics in their life. In this chapter, the development of the current discussion on teaching and learning mathematical modelling is described by detailing the goals of implementing mathematical modelling in schools and ways of integrating modelling into classrooms. Innovative projects for the integration of modelling into classrooms are described, displaying the innovative power of the teaching and learning of mathematical modelling in school. Based on the results of empirical studies, scaffolding as an approach to support students’ independent modelling processes is discussed in detail distinguishing approaches at a macro- and a micro-level.

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