Modern Mathematics: An International Movement?

The New Math/modern mathematics movement, which occurred between 1950 and 1980, was a significant development in twentieth-century curricula. This movement influenced the teaching and learning of mathematics at all levels in many nations. The volume, edited by Professor Dirk De Bock, provides an overview of the movement, including its rise and subsequent developments in various nations. The initial leadership came from mathematicians in European and American nations, with Caleb Gattegno and members of the Bourbaki group being prominent figures. In the United States, attempts to improve mathematics curricula and teaching emerged in the 1950s, culminating in the launch of "Sputnik" in 1957. This publication is a landmark in education, with a foreword written by Professor Bob Moon and an epilogue chapter by Professor Geert Vanpaemel that draws together the overall thrust of the volume and makes links with the general history of curriculum development.

Format: Hardback
Length: 596 pages
Publication date: 09 March 2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

The international New Math developments between about 1950 through 1980, are regarded by many mathematics educators and education historians as the most historically important development in curricula of the twentieth century. It attracted the attention of local and international politicians, of teachers, and of parents, and influenced the teaching and learning of mathematics at all levels—kindergarten to college graduate—in many nations. After garnering much initial support it began to attract criticism. But, as Bill Jacob and the late Jerry Becker show in Chapter 17, some of the effects became entrenched.

This volume, edited by Professor Dirk De Bock, of Belgium, provides an outstanding overview of the New Math/modern mathematics movement. Chapter authors provide exceptionally high-quality analyses of the rise of the movement, and of subsequent developments, within a range of nations.The first few chapters show how the initial leadership came from mathematicians in European nations and in the United States of America.

The background leaders in Europe were Caleb Gattegno and members of a mysterious group of mainly French pure mathematicians, who since the 1930s had published under the name of (a fictitious) “Nicolas Bourbaki.” In the United States, there emerged, during the 1950s various attempts to improve U.S. mathematics curricula and teaching, especially in secondary schools and colleges. This side of the story climaxed in 1957 when the Soviet Union succeeded in launching “Sputnik,” the first satellite.

Undoubtedly, this is a landmark publication in education. The foreword was written by Professor Bob Moon, one of a few other scholars to have written on the New Math from an international perspective. The final “epilogue” chapter, by Professor Geert Vanpaemel, a historian, draws together the overall thrust of the volume, and makes links with the general history of curriculum development, especially in science education, including recent globalization trends.

Weight: 1384g
Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031111655
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023