6. The trend towards a more complex View of understanding mathematics
For the remainder of my remarks this morning, I have Decided to elaborate on the sixth
trend, the trend towards a more complex view of understanding mathematics..
I"Understanding" mathematics is a universal goal. If a person teachers for understanding it is a good thing. In methods courses for teachers, professors tell teachers a particular
teaching practice promotes understanding. In testing students, we often want items that measure
understanding. This alignment of understanding with what Is good is a common characteristic of
the way the word understanding is employed in discussions of mathematics teaching and
evaluation.
Despite my emphasis here on understanding, mathematics is more than that. More
precisely, being competent in mathematics entails more than understanding its concepts. For
instance,problem solving is quite different from understanding. Though understanding a
concept is necessary for problem solving, problem solving itself requires a different set of ideas. .
The famous book of Polya, How To Solve It ( 1956), presents as fine an outline Of the ideas of
Problem solving as has ever been written. So here I will concentrate on understanding.